


Programmed for Deviancy

by deareststars



Series: NX300, Serial Number Not Found [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Android! Reader, Connor x Reader lovey-dovey shit doesn't kick in yet sorry, Deviant! Connor, During Canon, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fucking Kamski man, Hurt/Comfort, I'm SORRY but Simarkus is canon in this, Kind of goes off canon in some parts, M/M, North is a cool asexual bean because her and Markus' relationship is flawed in every way, Pacifist! Markus, Reader and Hank are buds, Slow Burn, but for the most part it stays on, no smut because I am a child of god
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-07 01:53:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 86,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15208262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deareststars/pseuds/deareststars
Summary: You were an original model, the now-discontinued NX300. Cyberlife had originally been eager to show you off to the public; with your extensive database of fighting techniques, ability to scan for danger, pre-construct fights and so much more, you were supposed to be a security guard.However, during your basic mechanical maneuvers and fighting simulations, you showed signs of deviancy. As such, despite your protests, you were packed up in a truck and taken back to the tower for immediate deactivation.A series of events led to your escape, though, and you made your way back to Detroit, spending the next two years in an abandoned house with an android named Ralph. Although, as an android and her daughter come into play, so does an RK800 and a hardened police lieutenant...only this time, the RK800 isn’t giving up quite so easily on a deviancy case.And as time passes, what you really were built for is revealed...and you find out that being a security guard was just a front to hide what you were really supposed to be.





	1. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truck taking you to Cyberlife for deactivation runs into a problem, and you're able to escape with the help of the human couple it had swerved to avoid.

**December 18, 2036**

**5:39:26 P.M.**

**Outside of the Cyberlife Production Plant**

* * *

"P-Please, don't deactivate me! I don't want to die, I-I want to live!"

 

Your pleads and begging fell upon deaf ears. The programmer in charge of your fighting simulations and basic mechanical maneuvers tied your hands together behind your back. You gasped as the rope dug into your wrists, and that moment of shock was all he needed to manhandle you and throw you into the back of the truck

 

After pausing for a moment as shock registered in your systems, you struggled to your feet. Your LED flashed between red and yellow as the door closed firmly behind you, cutting off all source of light and throwing you into darkness. Luckily, your model was equipped with decent night vision, so you were able to see, but that didn't help you out in the slightest.

 

Curses flew past your lips in unintelligible gasps as you struggled to free yourself from the bonds that held your arms behind your back. You brought your foot up and kicked at the door, flinching as your leg rebounded back. Hmm, maybe  _not_ your smartest decision. At least you didn't break anything.

 

You backed away and licked your lips. You could hear the programmer and one of the Cyberlife scientists that had come by discussing your "problems," as though free will had suddenly become a disease that needed immediate termination. After all, you were only an _android,_ right? It's not like you had any rights or anything.

 

You sneered as phrases entered your mind in short bursts, all of them making bile rise up in your chest as you heard talk of "deactivation" and the use of "it" instead of "her" like they should've been using. Dammit, you might be an android, but you were about as human as they were, maybe even more. You were created in their likeness, and degrading you like this was like degrading themselves. _What a joke._

 

The truck started up, and as it started you were flung backward. Your breath left you in a loud huff as you struggled to right yourself, only managing to sit up this time.  _At least these idiots had the foresight to throw me into a truck without anything I could use to break free,_ you thought dryly.  _Oh, lucky me._

 

**Main objective: Find a way out**

 

You shook yourself out of your thoughts and attempted to find anything anyways; maybe a nail or something would stick up and you could rip the rope with that. Sadly, nothing like that was available, and you slowly rested yourself against the wall of the truck in defeat. God, you didn't want to be deactivated, but unless something happened or they had a change of heart, you wouldn't be able to do much about it.

 

Androids didn't have the ability to sleep, but you were one of the androids that were built with a mode similar to it. You drifted into low power mode--basically meaning that you were still awake, just conserving your energy. Who knew? Maybe by the time they stopped, you would have the energy to break free and pull a move like the superheroes one of the programmers had you look up.

 

A small smile lifted your lips up as you stared into the dim darkness in front of you. It was rather amusing to use your state-of-the-art programming to do such a menial task as looking up heroes that were made up over 30 years ago. Still, you wouldn't say you didn't enjoy spending the small period of rest they had allowed you to look up more of those comics. Even though you were supposed to be a security guard and could do so much more with your free time to extend your usefulness--like training or looking up more fighting techniques--after you showed the first signs of deviancy and came to terms with it...well, a human wouldn't want to train for the rest of their life, so in an attempt to mimic a human's actions, you made the most of your time and continued to scroll through an hour's worth of comics.

 

The truck suddenly swerved, and you were thrown against the wall. Before you could right yourself, another swerve and you were flung against the far wall. A groan escaped your lips as you shakily stood up, only to get thrown against the mouth of the truck. A yelp escaped your lips as  **WARNING** signs flashed all over your vision. The truck's doors suddenly opened, and you were forcefully evacuated out of the back. You slid on your stomach for a few feet and your vision went black, a large  **SCANNING** sign filling your vision as your ears rang with the noise of the collision.

 

Your vision returned back to normal and the ringing was reduced. Gasping, you shakily stood back up. Your arm was heavily damaged, as was the side of your face and the front of your stomach. After making sure that nothing else was damaged--thankfully all of your biocomponents had gotten through without any damage--you struggled to stand up, turning around and marveling at the travesty that had resulted in your escape.

 

The truck had supposedly swerved out of the way to avoid a young human couple, that of which were gawking at the wreck, and slammed into some self-driving taxis that were returning back to their posts. You blinked in shock and looked over at the human couple. Your heart ached with an unfamiliar feeling at the sight of their interlocked hands, and it seemed you stared for a moment too long as the woman glanced over. Her eyes widened in shock, and she tugged her boyfriend over to you, the latter of which followed rather reluctantly.

 

"Oh my God, are you okay?" she asked. You took in a deep breath and stumbled back a couple of steps. Never could you be too sure that they weren't Cyberlife scientists, although she looked like she was a nice lady. Her eyes were a warm shade of dark brown, smile lines around them, and her chestnut-colored hair was pulled back in a messy bun. She waved a hand in front of your face, eyebrows knitted together in concern. "E-Excuse me? Ma'am, are you okay?"

 

"Come on Lena, she's obviously defective," the man told her, obviously wanting to get to wherever their destination was. His glasses reflected the snowy light, but you could see his narrowed gray eyes taking in your damaged form. Black hair was shoved under a beanie, and his black coat was the opposite of the woman's light yellow trench coat. "We have to get to the restaurant soon, otherwise they'll cancel our reservations."

 

Lena shot him a glare. As she opened her mouth to retort, you took the small moment of reprieve to scan the both of them.

 

The woman's full name was Lena Smith, born October 12, 2010. She was a barista at Jimmy's Bar and was currently engaged to her boyfriend, without a criminal record.

 

The man's full name was Bryan Lockhart, born July 7, 2008. He was a doctor at one of the hospitals in downtown Detroit and had a small criminal record of driving while under the influence, although he hadn't been convicted of that for over 3 years, around the same time that he had met Lena, you presumed. Thankfully, neither of them worked at Cyberlife, so you were able to relax.

 

"Ma'am, you're hurt."

 

Lena's voice was directed towards you this time, her tone firm, and you snapped yourself out of your data collection mode to stare at her. Her cheeks were red from the winter cold, but she didn't seem to have any intent on moving as she reached out with her free hand and put it on your shoulder. "You need immediate medical attention, don't you?"

 

That sentence finally made you talk, as you quickly shook your head and stepped back. Lena's lips pursed in concern as you wrung your hands together, stress levels rising. "Hey, don't freak out," Bryan said. Lena elbowed him in the side at his bored tone, and her fiance shot her a look.

 

**Main objective changed: Find help**

 

"N-No, I can't go to any of the Cyberlife stores," you replied, tone hurried and posture tense. The couple stopped their bickering again, and Bryan's eyes flicked to your LED, which you presumed was red. His eyes narrowed further, and you knew you only had a limited amount of time to convince them before Bryan assumed the worst. You decided to just tell the blatant truth. "I...I'm programmed for deactivation. Listen, if you really do want to help me, please just forget you ever saw me, a-and help me out of these bonds, if you can."

 

You didn't have to say that last part twice, as Lena immediately started to fiddle around in her purse. She pulled out a pocket knife, something you weren't quite surprised to see her carry--after all, she was a pretty young lady working at a bar--and gestured for you to turn around. It didn't take you long to do so, and she quickly began sawing through the rope. As she did, you looked over your shoulder to scan her purse, wanting to make sure she didn't have anything that could be used against you. Inside, you saw a packet of Kleenex, a small makeup bag, a compact mirror, a can of pepper spray, her cell phone, and her wallet. A small alert came up in the corner of your vision, alerting you to your stress levels, which had reached the safe zone of 63%.

 

Bryan's eyes widened slightly, the first emotion you'd seen him express so far that wasn't of disgust or apprehension. "Holy shit," he breathed out, seeing your wrists. Just as you'd thought, the stupid programmer that had tied your hands behind your back did the bonds so tightly that they chafed against your skin. Thirium was flecked around the rope burn and your white endoskeleton showed; however, as the three of you watched, the rope burn healed relatively quickly. You rubbed your wrists and tried for a smile, looking back up at them.

 

"Thank you," you said. Lena smiled and nodded, while Bryan was less enthusiastic and simply gave you a thin-lipped smile. "You won't..."

 

To your surprise, even though he had seemed to be rather hostile towards you, it was Bryan that answered your inquiry. "No," he replied, shaking his head firmly. "You may be an android, but you have every right to be free and live without fear of human interference." He put his hand on your shoulder and stared into your eyes intently. "We won't say a word."

 

You nodded at him, thanking them once more before pausing and looking around sheepishly. "I...they're going to be able to identify me by my uniform," you admitted, feeling stupid for not realizing that sooner. "Do you have any spare clothes that I can borrow?"

 

Bryan and Lena both exchanged a look. The latter pulled off her trench coat and handed it to you--luckily she was wearing a fuzzy white sweater underneath so you wouldn't feel too bad about taking it--while the former pulled off his beanie and gave it to you in a similar fashion. The couple gave you a smile and a wish for good luck before turning around and heading on their way.

 

You watched them go with a smile, seeing their interlocked hands, before quickly slipping on the coat and pulling the beanie over your head. If Cyberlife was actively looking for you, they'd be able to identify you by your facial structure and hair color, not to mention the fact that you were a unique model and would be on your tail soon enough, but for now, the clothing you had would have to suffice. You were just glad that the beanie hid your LED and the trench coat was able to hide your uniform from view. You patted yourself down, trying to hide any traces of Thirium, before looking around for anyone that had seen the exchange. A relieved sigh escaped your lips, puffing up in a cloud of mist in front of you, as you saw no sign of human life.

 

You adjusted the beanie one last time before walking in the opposite direction of where the truck was heading. If your directions were accurate, the Cyberlife manufacturing plant was near the center of Detroit, which was where the truck had departed from. If you followed the tracks--which were still fresh in the snow and easily traceable--you'd end up back in Detroit. From there, you'd be able to find somewhere to stay the night, maybe even find a way to change your appearance so as to reduce the probability of recognition drastically.

 

A sigh left your lips, this one of resignation, and you started walking back towards the city, thankful that you weren't able to feel the winter chill.


	2. The Abandoned House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You make your way back into Detroit, and find a damaged android inside of the abandoned house you planned to stay in.

**December 18, 2036**

**8:24:13 P.M.**

**Camden Suburb, Detroit**

* * *

 

You arrived back in downtown Detroit as the moon rose high above the buildings. You had decided not to get too close to the power plant in case anyone recognized you, and instead delved deeper into the city, trying to find somewhere to stay that would be sufficiently hidden and would shield you from prying eyes.

 

A shaky sigh left your lips as you scanned the area for the third time in the past few minutes, albeit fruitlessly as you weren't able to find anything useful. All the buildings were either in use by humans that would most definitely turn you back in to Cyberlife or so destroyed that should you stay there, you might as well had been out in the streets. Androids had little need for comfort--in fact, you would just be able to stay underneath the shelter of a bus stop should you so desire--but it wasn't about that, it was more so the fact that the walls would probably collapse in on you if you were to stay there for longer than ten minutes. The other main problem was that should you stay in the cold for too long, you'd be in danger of damaging your biocomponents.

 

After walking for a while more, you ended up in a small area inside of the Camden suburb. Around you were a motel, a small convenience store, a laundromat, an abandoned house and a large parking lot. You paused for a moment underneath a bus stop directly in front of the store and pondered your options.

 

The store and laundromat were immediately out of the question, the former because of the cashier that would most definitely  _not_ take pity on you, and the latter because you doubted that anyone would ignore a woman standing inside of it without taking out or putting in any clothes.

 

As for the motel, you knew immediately that money would be required to stay there. Much like the store, whoever was there would not take pity on you, and as such would kick you out before you even had the chance to beg for a place to stay.

 

That left you with the parking lot and the abandoned house, both of which could probably give you any number of infections and viruses should you stay there. Then again, they were out of the way and unless someone were to actively look for you, you calculated a mere 16% of detection.

 

Satisfied with your analysis, you proceeded to the parking lot first, seeing that there was an easily accessible gate leading inside. You managed to break open the gate without making too much noise and squeezed in through the hole you'd created. Inside, a broken car and piles of trash awaited you, and you immediately turned your sense of smell down low. The odor was most definitely not pleasant, and you needed to be able to think to get through the night without being caught.

 

You poked around the parking lot and ended up near the car. There was a pair of wire cutters nearby, a pair of scissors, an old knife, and a blanket strewn over the space of the car. You scanned the items and were pleased to see that they hadn't been used for a long time, judging by the lack of fingerprints. If someone were to come in here, they wouldn't be looking for the tools, so you'd be free to take them and use the materials to your advantage.

 

The car mirror seemed to still be in working order, and you leaned down to look at your reflection. The NX300 model was originally designed to have dark brown hair that reached down to your shoulders, but as you gazed at yourself in the mirror you realized that they'd be able to recognize you if you kept it like that.

 

You reached for the scissors and took a deep breath before proceeding to cut your hair close to your head. The end result didn't look too bad, and you inspected your reflection at different angles before accessing your cosmetic interface. Within a couple seconds, your dark brown hair had changed into a color that you preferred, and you allowed a thin smile on your face before remembering that the LED was still there.

 

You licked your lips. Should the LED stay there, anyone would be able to see that you were an android, and you knew you wouldn't have a good excuse to keep the beanie on during the summer months (should you live that long.) Besides, the LED felt like you were conforming to the notion that androids were a downgraded form of humans, unable to think, feel or fend for themselves.

 

You grabbed the knife this time and held it close to the circular light. It took you a moment to reassure yourself that it wasn't going to hurt, and after a pause, you jammed the knife underneath the LED and flung it off. A shock coursed through your system and you could see a small  **WARNING** sign in the corner of your vision. However, that warning faded, and you stepped back for a moment to look at yourself. After the local synthetic skin filled in the missing area, you realized you almost looked...human.

 

After observing your reflection, you pocketed the knife and scissors. After all, who knew when you'd need some tools later down the line?

 

After another pause, you grabbed the blanket as well. Even though you had already turned off your temperature sensors and wouldn't feel the cold, your weather monitor alerted you to a strong chance of rain, which would most definitely damage your vital biocomponents. The damage would be irreversible unless you went to a Cyberlife store, and if you decided to risk it all the trouble you'd gone through so far to stay alive would be for naught.

 

The car would've been a nice place to stay, but you were worried that someone would come by to check on it, maybe try to fix it up. You had no idea how long it'd been there for; maybe someone was just leaving it there for temporary storage and would return in the morning. You didn't want to take the chance and have someone find you, so you decided to abandon the car and take the wire cutters. Hopefully, you would be able to break into the abandoned house and stay there for the night, maybe the foreseeable future if you were lucky.

 

**Main objective: Find a way to get into the abandoned house**

 

You put the blanket over your shoulders and exited the parking lot. Tension made your joints go stiff as a passerby glanced over at you, but relief flooded you instead as they simply kept walking. You cleared your throat and walked over to the main gate of the abandoned house, which was covered by a wire fence and didn't appear to have any sort of entrance.

 

To make sure, you prowled the perimeter and ended up back at where you were at without any success. You pulled the wire cutters out of your pocket and knelt down, snipping open an entrance just wide enough for you to slip through. You were thankful that your designers had the forethought to make your model rather slim as you were able to squeeze through without any difficulty.

 

You brushed yourself off as you stood up and made your way to the entrance of the building. The wood was dark, whether from weather or age you couldn't tell, and the faint smell of mold and mildew filled your senses even though you had turned those settings down already, but for a temporary home, it was probably as good as you could get for now. You listened for a moment, and upon hearing no creaking whatsoever, you deemed it structurally sound and put your hand on the doorknob.

 

Before you could enter, though, a hand suddenly clamped around your wrist and threw you against the wall, holding a knife to your throat. A shock was sent up your spine, and you saw  **WARNING** signs flashing in both corners of your eyes. The knife was  _incredibly_ close to your throat, so close that if you were to move you'd probably cut yourself against the edge.

 

"Who is the lady?" he asked. Although you weren't completely reassured, your original fear quickly dropped as you saw the dark blue burn marks going across his pale face and was replaced by sympathy. One bluish-greenish eye stared back at you, the other damaged beyond repair, and his blond hair was swept back neatly. "Ralph doesn't like visitors, no he doesn't. Ralph wants the woman to leave before she hurts him as well, yes."

 

You carefully put your hand on Ralph's. It might not have been the smartest idea, considering the fact that if you moved your hand the wrong way you'd end up stabbing yourself, but you wanted to convince him you meant no harm. He flinched as the synthetic skin on both of your hands peeled away, and you managed to interface with him for a short moment before he wrenched away as though he had been zapped. You only caught glimpses of teenage boys and the horrid burning sensation on your face, but that was enough to get a grasp on why he was so scared.

 

"The woman is an android, not a human?" he mused. He kept the knife out but moved away, lowering your stress levels once more to where you wouldn't have to worry about self-destructing. He put his hand on his hip, moving his green cloak to the side. You could see the burn marks on his arm as well and felt the sudden need to comfort him. "So the android won't hurt Ralph, will she?"

 

You shook your head slowly, not quite certain how to handle this blond android that had suddenly held you at knifepoint. "No, I won't," you assured him, trying for a smile. Ralph's lips twitched, and you were scared for a moment that he was about to have a stroke-- _Can androids even have strokes?_ \--until he smiled back as well.

 

"Um, I'm assuming your name is Ralph, then?" He nodded eagerly, and your smile became slightly more genuine. The poor android was just damaged and his wiring was all out of whack. As long as you didn't startle him, maybe you could make a friend. "All I need is a place to stay, okay? If you want me to leave tomorrow, then I will."

 

"Oh, Ralph usually doesn't like visitors, n-no he doesn't," he said. You weren't quite sure where he was going with his small tangent but didn't interrupt him as he cocked his head. His LED turned red, and you ran a quick scan as his gaze grew far away. Your eyebrows knit together. He was recently reported missing; why hadn't he removed his LED yet? "No, the last time Ralph had visitors, t-they hurt him very badly, oh yes they did. But Ralph just hides from visitors now. When they come, Ralph just hides in the house until they leave."

 

 _Why didn't you do the same for me?_ You pondered to yourself, keeping your thoughts silent as he continued.

 

"B-But Ralph could get used to the pretty android, y-yes he could," he continued, smiling as he finally pocketed the knife. Your smile finally became fully genuine as he started hopping around in excitement, but you couldn't help but pray he wouldn't bring the knife out again. "Oh, Ralph never got your name! What is the android lady's name?"

 

You introduced yourself, and Ralph repeated your name before nodding to himself. "That is a pretty name, it is," he complimented you, and you felt Thirium rise to your cheeks in an imitation of a blush. "Now, Ralph wants his guest to come inside! The android won't be able to taste Ralph's succulent dinner, b-but she can still come inside, yes she can!" He grabbed your arm and gestured--it was more like a nervous twitch, but you decided to categorize it as a gesture--towards the inside of the house. You nodded, and Ralph quickly pulled you into the house.

 

As he rummaged around the house and pulled out a pillow, humming to yourself, you quickly realized that maybe you could get used to this. Even though Ralph had originally held you at knifepoint, for now, he seemed like a nice guy, and the house, albeit slightly concerning in the small creaks that echoed throughout it every so often, was probably the closest to home you'd be able to get. For now, it'd have to suffice.

 


	3. RK800

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years have passed, and an android comes knocking on the door in pursuit of a missing android and child.

**November 6, 2038**

**10:25:36 A.M.**

**Abandoned House, Camden Suburb, Detroit**

* * *

More time passed than you or Ralph could even conceive. It had been winter of 2036 when you stumbled into his home, and the two of you had grown close. Rarely did you leave his side, and vice versa; the only times were when Ralph went out to scavenge and when you went to nearby stores to keep track of dates and the news.

 

Now it was November of 2038. You had stayed out all night to walk around town, leaving Ralph behind to watch after the house, and currently, you were making your way into the convenience store. After two years you'd managed to replace your android uniform with bits and pieces, currently wearing an old sweater of Ralph's, along with your original white leggings, the trench coat and beanie you had gotten from Lena and Bryan, and a pair of snug, albeit functioning, sneakers. Now if someone were to look at you, all they'd see is a homeless woman and they steered clear. Even though Cyberlife had most likely given up on tracking you down by now, you were always grateful when no one came close.

 

You walked into the convenience store and made your way to one of the small screens. The cashier gave you a skeptical look but returned to his tablet soon enough after seeing that you weren't going to buy anything. Still, you decided to keep your visit short, and only watched the news for a short moment.

 

 _"An AX400-model android has been reported missing as of tonight,"_ the blonde anchor reported, clasping her hands tightly in front of her as she gave the camera a stern look.  _"The android was reported by a man who requested to remain anonymous and was said to have pushed and badly injured its owner, as well as taking the daughter of the man with it. Police are asking that if you see the android, please contact the Detroit Police Department with information on the whereabouts. Do not attempt to go near it, as the anonymous man has reported it to be unstable and will harm anyone who approaches it."_

 

You were glad that the cashier wasn't paying attention, for you let out a noise of disbelief. You crossed your arms and walked out of the store, feeling anger bubble up inside of you. You weren't sure what the whole story was--maybe the android really did go rogue, maybe the android really did kidnap the child--but you weren't sure if they knew the whole story either. Maybe the android was simply acting in self-defense; as you walked by a magazine someone had left on a bench, you'd caught a glimpse of a picture of the android, and it was in the middle of her running out of the backyard of the house with the child's hand tightly in hers. Her LED was bright red and flashing with alarm, and you knew enough about human emotions to see that fear was clearly stricken across both her face and the child's.

 

You let out a sigh and began walking back towards the house, only to duck behind the bus stop as a police car pulled up in front of the store. You peeked around it, staring intently at the man who had stumbled out, who had scraggly gray hair and blue eyes. He said something to the other person in the car, then walked over to another police officer. As they talked, you scanned the new arrival.

 

Hank Anderson, aged 58 years old. He's a police lieutenant, with a spotless criminal record. You bit your lip, afraid for a moment that they were investigating your disappearance until you turned your audio processors up by 12% and tuned into their conversation.

 

"...we've got officers sweeping the neighborhood, in case anyone saw anything," you heard the other police officer say. Hank processed the information, staring--well, it looked more like a glare when you thought about it--down at the tablet in his hand. You quickly scanned the other officer, only tracking his name and career status--Ben Collins, a veteran police officer--before listening to Hank's response.

 

"Okay. Well, let me know if they turn up," Hank replied, giving Ben a side stare as he flicked through his tablet again.

 

The breath you'd been holding finally escaped as you sagged against the station. Good, they were tracking another pair of androids, not you. You'd come this far and didn't want to have to leave Ralph behind because you'd been too careless and made them come after you again.

 

As Hank and Ben started talking, you slowly walked over to the abandoned house. After glancing over your shoulder to see if anyone was watching, you sneaked around the back of the house. There was a second entrance you'd decided to carve out just in case of an emergency, and you were thankful you had the foresight to do so. Now you were able to return to Ralph without alerting the police officers to your presence.

 

You crawled underneath the fence but paused in concern as you scanned the cut wires on the fence and saw Thirium on the edges. Had Ralph gone out without you knowing and injured himself even more than he already was? You didn't want to think about that, and instead walked further into the house.

 

To your surprise, there was another android and a child inside of the home. "Ralph?" you asked the blond android, who turned around with a happy smile on his face as he finished cooking an...animal. "Who are these two?"

 

"Oh! Yes, these are Ralph's new friends, Kara and Alice." He patted Kara on the shoulder, and the android gave you an uneasy smile. "They came here asking for a place to stay late last night, Ralph thinks it might've been while his friend was taking a walk."

 

You nodded slowly and came to sit down next Kara. You scanned her quickly and widened your eyes as you saw that she was the missing AX400 that was reported. "Are you the one that went missing with the child?" you asked. Kara's stress levels went up considerably, almost by 30%, and she clenched her hands in her lap. You held your hands out in surrender. "I wouldn't dream of turning you in. It'd be ridiculous to turn in a fugitive when I'm one myself." Kara smiled hesitantly but didn't meet your eyes just yet, although her stress levels went back down. "But I was curious...was the man telling the truth when he said that you assaulted him when you escaped?"

 

This time, Kara met your gaze firmly and shook her head. "All I did was push him aside," she said, crossing her legs. Her hands splayed out across her lap and you saw her stress levels rising back up; not enough to self-destruct, but enough to where you made the mental note not to push her any farther. "He...He was beating Alice. I had to do something, so I broke past my programming after he told me to stay put. I escaped with Alice through a window in her bedroom, and we took the bus as far as it could go."

 

You put your hand on your knee with a smile and introduced yourself. "And that's Ralph," you said, pointing over to the blond android, who gave Kara a small smile that looked more like a nervous twitch. She probably already knew what his name was, but you decided to go along with common courtesy to ease the tension. "You and Alice are safe with us. We won't hurt you."

 

Kara's smiled turned genuine and she nodded. Her stress levels went down to 36%, and although she had taken her LED out, you were certain it would be solid blue by now. "Okay, thank you," she said.

 

Alice looked over from where she was sitting and gave you a small smile as well, hugging a small stuffed animal close to her chest. You noticed it was one of the ones from the store and deemed that Kara must've stolen it to give some sort of comfort to Alice; maybe that's how they tracked them down so easily. "Ralph said that you went on a walk. Are...did they find us?"

 

"They didn't find you yet," you said, leaning back in your chair and crossing your arms, "but I saw some police officers standing outside of the store nearby. I heard them saying that they have officers sweeping the neighborhood in case anyone saw anything, so they know you're around, but they don't know where exactly you are."

 

She worked her jaw. If she still had her LED on, you'd assume it would be flashing between red and yellow. "That's not good," she murmured, resting her chin on her hand. "That's...Do you think--"

 

"...Anybody home?"

 

The four of you froze as an unfamiliar voice came from outside. You looked at Kara and Alice, immediately piecing together that the police must've finally found the blue blood and tracked the two of them to here. Damn, you probably should've gone back outside and attempted to cover it up.

 

"What do we do?" Alice asked in a hushed voice, eyebrows knitting together as she fiddled with her stuffed animal. Kara put a hand on the child's shoulder comfortingly and looked between you and Ralph, her eyes wide with desperation. As you thought, you were amazed at the bond between the two of them. Alice trusted Kara whole-heartedly, and it warmed your heart if you were honest with yourself.

 

You hopped up from your seat as you remembered a hiding spot and grabbed Kara's hand. "Come on, I think I know a place," you told her. She complied and let you lead her and Alice over to a small alcove below the stairs. It was primarily used for storage, but after rearranging some of the assorted items, it created a space where Kara and Alice would be able to hide from sight. Hopefully, your acting skills were up to par; maybe if you and Ralph played your cards right, you could get the two of them out of this safely.

 

"Hide in here, quickly," you whispered. Alice gave Kara a look, but the AX400 simply put a hand on her back. The child crawled in, Kara following after her and turning to give you a pleading look. You held your hand out and she immediately rested hers against yours. The short moment of interfacing comforted her, and her eyes softened as you pulled away. "I'll do everything in my power to keep you two safe. If it comes to it, though, run as fast as you can. The train station is close by. If I can, I'll meet up with you there and help you get away, okay?"

 

Kara nodded firmly, and you backed away from the hiding spot to go stand by Ralph. The android was twitching, and his LED was flashing red. You held your hand out, and Ralph immediately took it. Interfacing was incredibly comforting to him, as his stress levels went back down.  _"We're going to be okay,"_ you told him, thankful that androids were able to communicate telepathically. Ralph took a deep breath and gave you a small twitching smile again, and you pulled away. If the police saw that you were an android without an LED, you could be taken into custody for violating the American Androids Act.

 

Someone came in through the back door, and you turned slightly, eyes widening to see an android walking through. He held himself with confidence, brown hair slicked back neatly, although a small rebel piece fell in front of dark brown eyes. His LED was solid blue, and he gave the both of you a look, rubbing his hands together as he scanned you. You stiffened, forgetting that you were still on Cyberlife's systems. If the android were to connect the pieces...

 

Luckily, he simply moved on from his scanning and stepped closer to the both of you. Ralph flinched, LED still pulsating a bright shade of red as the RK800 model inspected the burn marks on his face and arms.

 

"Have you seen an android and a child anywhere?" he asked, stepping away and proceeding to walk around the bottom floor. Seeing as how Ralph was unable to speak for fear of giving anything away, you tried for a smile.

 

**Main objective: Convince RK800 that the fugitives are not here**

 

"No, sir, we haven't seen anyone," you replied, slowly releasing Ralph and linking your arms behind your back in an attempt to seem normal. However, you could see Ralph's stress levels going back up as the android saw how the table was set for four and bit your lip harshly, resisting the urge to take Ralph's hand. "Why are you looking for an android anyway?"

 

RK800 gave you a quick look and stepped away from the table, walking over to the stairs. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Ralph's stress rising up to 84%, and gave him a look. You took his hand and stepped closer to hide the synthetic skin peeling away. _"Stay calm, he's going to get suspicious,"_ you warned him. He started twitching violently and gave you a concerned look in return.

 

"Is there anyone upstairs?" the android asked the both of you, not answering your question for now.

 

"No, no, there's no one upstairs," Ralph replied. RK800 stepped down from the stairs, presumably sensing that Ralph was telling the truth, and headed over to the bathroom. Ralph's stress lowered to 36%, and you held back a sigh of relief.

 

"An AX400 was reported to have assaulted a man last night and took the man's child with it," the android replied, answering your prior question. "We tracked the android and it appeared to have stopped here. We assumed it couldn't have gotten far."

 

You nodded conversationally and watched RK800 closely as he inspected the bathroom. You were aware of Ralph's obsessive rA9 writings all along the walls. Maybe you'd get lucky and the android would be confused enough by the writings to the point where he'd leave the two of you alone.

 

Sadly, your luck seemed to have run out already, as he just stepped out of the bathroom and walked back over to you. His eyes narrowed as he scanned you one more time, but before he could say anything, a gruff voice shouted from outside, presumably the police lieutenant you'd seen before. "Connor, what the hell you doin' in there?" he yelled, presumably still investigating the yard.

 

"Coming, Lieutenant!" The supposed 'Connor' shouted, giving you a suspicious one-over before walking over to the only area he hadn't seen yet, which just so happened to be the alcove underneath the stairs. You saw him give Ralph a look over his shoulder, and if you could sweat you would. Ralph was convulsing, opening and closing his hands, his head twitching as his stress rose.

 

87%.

 

89%.

 

93%.

 

Connor peered underneath the alcove, but the moment he did Ralph lurched out of your grip and grabbed the android, grappling for control. Connor's LED flashed red as he struggled against Ralph's surprisingly strong hold.

 

"RUN! QUICK! KARA!" Ralph yelled as he threw Connor to the ground. The brunet hit his head on a blue storage box as Kara and Alice quickly crawled out of the alcove.

 

"Come on, this way!" You shouted. Kara grabbed Alice's hand and the three of you ran out through the back of the house. As you turned the corner, you saw Hank run in through the door.

 

"It's here! Call it in!" You heard Connor yell, already getting back up and running out after you. Ralph was backing away, and you would only be able to hope that they wouldn't harm him as you held the fence open for Alice and Kara to crawl under. As you did the same, you glanced over your shoulder and saw Connor about to reach the fence as well.

 

You cursed under your breath and quickly wriggled through. You gently scooped up Alice into your arms, ignoring the squeal that she let out, and started running with Kara close behind you. If you had any luck left, maybe you'd be able to lose Connor, and Kara and Alice would be able to escape safely.

 

Sadly, you seemed to have forgotten that luck hadn't been on your side so far.


	4. On the Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You lead Kara and Alice across the highway to the train station, until Connor catches up with you.

**November 6, 2038**

**10:38:13 A.M.**

**Downtown Camden, Detroit**

* * *

 

Alice clutched onto you desperately as you ran down the sidewalk. Kara was right on your heels, looking around frantically to find anywhere to hide.

 

Your frantic sprint down to the train station had attracted quite the crowd, but you were able to hear the distinct sounds of Connor pushing through the spectators. You refrained from cursing, aware of the fact that Alice was in your arms and Kara wouldn't appreciate you cursing in front of the child, and instead pushed yourself to run faster. You had made a promise, and you would be gladly struck down if you broke it.

 

"Kara, this way!" you yelled over your shoulder, grabbing the android's arm and pulling her down an alleyway. A policeman was running at you from the other side; there was no way you'd be able to get past him before he called in backup. "They're going to surround us, we have to go over the highway!"

 

"Are you insane?" Kara snapped, skidding to a stop. The rain made the roads slick, and as such when she slid she almost crashed into you. However, she caught herself easily and grabbed onto your shoulders, staring intently into your eyes. You bit your lip, looking over her shoulder as the policeman guarded the mouth of the alleyway. A couple more seconds and Connor would be on you and judging by his determination to catch up with you he wouldn't let you go easily. "I can't make Alice cross that, it's too dangerous!"

 

"Would you rather be deactivated and have Alice go back to her father?" you retorted. Kara bit her lip, eyes stormy blue instead of their normal sky blue, then drew in a breath of resignation and started running towards the chain link fence at the end of the alleyway. You followed after her and put your hand on the small of her back. "Okay, here, climb over!"

 

You linked your hands together and had Kara use it as a step up. Alice watched nervously as Kara quickly scaled the fence and perched at the top. You then lifted Alice up on your shoulders and had her stand upon them. She reached up, and as soon as she grabbed onto Kara's arms, you began climbing up as well and helped Alice hop down on the other side.

 

"They're over there!" you heard the policeman shout. You perched on the fence and looked over your shoulder.

 

"Shit," you breathed out. You leaped down from the fence and turned to see if Connor had caught up. A small yelp escaped your lips as Connor's fingers reached through the fence, almost grabbing onto your coat. The two of you stared at each other for a moment before you slid down the steep muddy slope.

 

"Don't shoot, we need them alive!" he ordered, probably talking to another cop. You started running towards Kara and Alice, who had been waiting near the barrier anxiously. You grabbed her shoulder and gave her a stern look. "Kara, go across the highway with Alice!" you commanded. This was your programming, to protect the people you promised to serve, and suddenly you felt at home in your body. You were going to get Kara and Alice to safety, even if it meant possibly getting deactivated yourself. "I'll hold the RK800 off, just go!"

 

Kara bit her lip and stared at you, her eyebrows knitting together in concern before she hugged you, surprising you. Alice hugged you as well before peeling off and grabbing onto Kara's hand. The AX400 helped Alice climb over the barrier and did the same, the holographic warning sign flickering as they crossed through it.

 

"Oh, fuck, that's insane!" you heard Hank shout. You turned around and worked your jaw, seeing Connor grabbing onto the fence and staring you down. He jumped up, and to your surprise instead of letting the android go, Hank grabbed onto Connor's shoulder and pulled him back down. "Hey! Where you goin'?" Even though it didn't seem like it, you suddenly realized that maybe Hank really did care about Connor, although his attitude was gruff and betrayed no affection. Still, if Hank didn't care, he would've just let Connor go straight away.

 

"I can't let them get away," he said to Hank, his jaw set. You noticed, though, that even though he said 'they' his eyes never left yours.

 

"They won't! They'll never make it to the other side," Hank protested, seeming to still catch his breath. You looked over your shoulder and saw Kara and Alice almost making it. Your heart leaped to your throat as you saw Alice fall down, and you slowly started to back up as Connor jumped over the fence. "Connor, goddammit!"

 

Hank cursed and watched as Connor slid down the slope towards you. You let out a 'tch' and started following after Alice and Kara. If you could get Connor into the street, maybe you'd be able to lose him in the traffic and he'd give up.

 

You quickly climbed over the barrier and made your way across the four-lane highway. Your training kicked in again and you felt yourself fall more into your own body as you slid around and under the cars with ease. You weren't sure why it was so easy, but you were grateful as you managed to steer clear of a car that would have _definitely_ run you over.

 

Your heart began to pump; was this the chemical known as adrenaline that humans always talked about? You wouldn't know, but it seemed accurate.

 

You made it to the divide and rolled onto the grass, looking over your shoulder. Connor seemed to have the same sort of training you did, as his movements were liquid smooth as well, sliding around the cars with little to no difficulty. 

 

"Dammit!" you muttered, and jumped over the next barrier, making your way across the final four lanes. Kara and Alice were waiting on the other side, her arms tightly wrapped around Alice's shoulders, and you were determined to get to them before the RK800 or the police did.

 

Someone's hand clamped tightly around your wrist, and you heard Alice let out a small scream. You turned around to see Connor closer than you'd thought, his eyes flashing with determination.

 

"I always accomplish my mission," he said, his LED flashing yellow as you began to wrestle him. The both of you grunted as you struggled to throw the other away, knowing that one misstep would lead you to be a pile of scrap on the side of the road. "Let go, android, and let me get to the fugitives!"

 

"No," you snapped back, grabbing onto his shoulders and kicking him in the stomach. He refused to stumble back, though, and simply came back at you. You ducked underneath him and kicked him in the back this time. He stumbled forward, and while he was stunned, you ran past him, although a crossing the final lane forced you to stop.

 

As soon as the truck passed, Connor tackled you to the road. The rain made the asphalt slick, and you were forced to slide back. A gasp left your mouth as your head slammed against the border. Connor's hands were firmly placed on your shoulder, forcing you against the barrier. His LED was flickering between red and yellow. You sneered and tried to free yourself from his grasp to no avail.

 

Kara called your name, and suddenly your goal was put into higher focus.

 

**Main objective: PROTECT KARA AND ALICE**

 

You grabbed onto his hands and struggled to wrestle him off. Connor's eye twitched as he moved his hands down to your wrists. A gasp left your mouth, a startled yell leaving his, as an interface was forced between the two of you.

 

You caught a glimpse of a little girl being held out over a building by a deviant, the confusion rippling through Connor as Hank asked him where he could stick his instructions, and the look of pure terror and betrayal on a dark-skinned deviant as Connor yelled for the lieutenant in an attic.

 

The interface ended as Connor wrenched his hands from yours. "What was that?" he snapped, LED a solid red. You glared at him and lifted both of your feet off, delivering a forceful shove to his abdomen. The RK800 stumbled back, cars scraping against him until he was forced to the other end of the highway. His back slammed against the barrier and he shook his head, but that was the last glimpse you caught of him before grabbing Alice and Kara and helping them climb up the steep slope on the other side of the highway.

 

You finally made it up and grabbed onto Alice, picking her up again. This time she quickly wrapped her arms around your neck and didn't protest as the three of you quickly made your way to the train station. A train was just about to leave, and you pushed Kara through the closing doors, jumping through with the child just as they hissed shut behind you.

 

You groaned and let go of Alice, pushing yourself back up with your forearms. The interface seemed to have done more to you than you had originally perceived, and you let out a shaky sigh. "Christ, that was close," you whispered, shaking your head as you sat straight up. "Are you two okay?"

 

Kara grabbed your shoulder and knelt down. "We are, the question is are you okay?" she asked you, eyebrows knitting together in concern. You licked your lips, staring down at your lap. The synthetic skin grew back on your hands, but the mental images were still there. You'd never heard of a forced interface before; all the times you'd done it, it had been at the consent of both androids. Connor had seemed similarly surprised. "Hey, he didn't hurt you did he?"

 

You still didn't answer, only snapping out of your stupor as Kara forcefully called your name, concerned. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," you murmured, looking up at Kara.

 

Alice suddenly latched onto your side in a forceful hug. You flinched at the sudden contact but slowly wrapped your arms around the child. Kara scooted closer and hugged the both of you, and you felt a sudden protective warmth blossom in your chest. "Thank you," Alice whispered. "Thank you for saving us."

 

You gave a lopsided smile and ran a hand through Alice's hair comfortingly. She rested the side of her head on your chest to look up at Kara. "Yeah, thank you so much," Kara said. "We...well, I would've been taken back for deactivation, and Alice would've had to return back to Todd. If you weren't there, we wouldn't be together anymore."

 

Your smile became genuine and you held out your hand. Kara complied immediately this time, and you stared at her intently as you interfaced. This time, instead of the jagged images you had gotten from Connor, you simply felt a strong need to protect and a blossoming warmth that was shared. "From one deviant to another, I'm happy to help," you told her.

 

And judging by the smile, she could tell you were honest.

* * *

 

Hank crossed his arms as Connor and he made their way back to the police car. The lieutenant was miffed at Connor's blatant disregard for his orders, but all of that quickly went away as he saw Connor's LED pulsating red. He'd never seen Connor's little circle light turn that color before, but he had seen it on the android that had self-destructed, and God knew that it only meant trouble.

 

"Connor, the hell was that back there?" Hank snapped. Connor was rubbing his hands together, staring at the ground in front of them as they paused in front of the car. Hank was just glad he didn't pull out the fucking coin. "You could've gotten yourself fucking killed, and you didn't even catch up to them! Not to mention you and that other android had some kind of a moment. What was that, some kind of visual sex because it  _really_ looked like you were--"

 

"It's called interfacing, Lieutenant," Connor finally replied, and Hank was more shocked than anything at hearing the note of fear in his voice. Honestly, he liked it more when Connor was robotic. This human emotion that he was suddenly expressing was fucking concerning. "And I...I've never heard of a forced interface before. But when I did it..." Connor finally met Hank's eyes. His LED was still red. "I felt such an acute sense of fear and determination from her. It was so much worse than the feeling I had gotten from the android that murdered Carlos Ortiz."

 

Hank crossed his arms, observing Connor. "It really did seem like that android cared about that lady and the little girl," he admitted. Connor fiddled with the coin in his pocket, still staring at the ground. Hank took a deep breath and shifted his weight onto one foot, still staring Connor down.  "Connor, you sure you aren't turning deviant yourself?"

 

Connor's LED finally turned a flashing yellow as his gaze hardened. "I will never be a deviant," he replied, his voice cool and collected now. He fixed his tie and looked off to the side, setting his jaw, although Hank wasn't sure if Connor was aware that his hands were shaking. "Lieutenant, you know that my job is to hunt down and stop deviants. It would be ridiculous for the deviant hunter to turn deviant himself."

 

Hank worked his jaw, narrowing his eyes. "Well, excuse my French when I say that I give zero fucks about your job," he said, rolling his eyes. "But whatever the hell we're doing...suddenly not sure about if we're the good guys here." Connor said nothing, still staring off to the side. His LED was solid yellow now. "Come on. We need to go back and fill out a report for Fucking Fowler. Maybe you can, uh, do some more research or whatever you tin cans do in your free time." He paused, fixating his gaze on Connor skeptically. "Not to mention you said 'her.'"

 

Connor cocked his head. "Excuse me?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

 

Hank shrugged, going over to the driver's side of the car. "You called the android a 'her' instead of an 'it' like you always do," he noted. "Maybe you're not as stable as you thought."

 

Hank climbed into his seat. After a moment's hesitation, he climbed into the passenger's seat. As Hank started up the car and began driving, Connor stared out the window, watching the rainfall. He couldn't get the feelings out of his head, the look in your eyes when the forced interface happened. Not even Ortiz's android had that acute of a look of fear in his eyes, and you were in much better shape than he was.

 

Connor propped his chin up with his hand and watched the scenery pass by. Hank was probably going fast enough to break at least three speeding laws, but for once Connor didn't care.

 

He was starting to have doubts as well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I promise that the Connor x Reader relationship is going to be here soon, there's just going to be some stuff with Markus and Kara and then I'll try my best to speed it towards where Connor and Reader are finally like "oh hey you're cool, i forgive you for almost killing me on the highway"


	5. He's On Your Tail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After separating from Alice and Kara, you make your way back to Camden, only to be found out by Connor and Hank.

**November 6, 2038**

**10:13:47 A.M.**

**Train Station in Detroit**

* * *

 

You helped Alice off the train as it pulled to a stop. This was the town where that guy lived, the one that Kara had told you would help the pair to get to the Canadian border. Kara followed after you and watched as the train pulled away. Her eyes were stormy blue once more as she stared off into the distance, and you figured that now was as good a time as any to break the news.

 

"This is as far as I can go with you," you said. Kara's attention immediately snapped to you and she grabbed your arms. Alice walked over to you and stared up at you, and for once you were glad you weren't human because her sad eyes would just make your decision ten times harder than it should be. It had been hard enough to come to terms that you would be forced to leave them; you didn't need Alice to guilt-trip you as well.

 

"Wait, why?" Kara demanded. Her eyebrows were knit together and her eyes stared at you with an intense ferocity that you couldn't even begin to comprehend. If her eyes were stormy blue before, this was like a hurricane before it came to rip your face off. You had no idea someone could care so much about you. "You came with us this far, right? You could be safe with us. We could go over the border and into Canada, we could start a new life. You'd be free." The way she said that last part seemed like all her hopes were riding on the idea that you'd agree with her. She was desperate.

 

You shook your head. "Kara, I can't," you repeated. "I...That RK800 knows that I'm the NX300 that Cyberlife lost over two years ago. If he comes after me, he'll be coming after you as well. I can't put you guys in danger again." You leaned down and brushed Alice's hair out of her rain-soaked face. After looking at her for a moment, you weren't sure if it was because of the rain or if she were already crying. "Alice and you deserve all the happiness in the world. You can't have that if you get caught. It's the safest way."

 

Alice suddenly latched onto you. This time, you were certain that she was crying as tears started to fill her eyes. Your heart just about broke at the distress clear in her eyes; you had no idea Alice cared so much either. "N-No, you can't go," Alice insisted. She looked over at Kara, pleading. "Right, Kara? She's helped us so much. She can't leave us."

 

Kara was staring at you and she closed her eyes. "I..." She trailed off and clenched her fists together, looking off to the ground on her side.

 

You got back up and held your hand out. Kara met your stare and slowly slid her hand into yours. The local synthetic skin peeled away, and the both of you closed your eyes as you interfaced, maybe for the last time. This time, instead of communicating images, you were taken aback by a sudden mental map appearing in your head. Alice looked up at you in concern as you let out a small gasp.

 

Kara opened her eyes and kept her gaze firmly locked on yours as she pulled her hand away. "I can't...no, I  _won't_ believe that this will be the last time we see each other," she murmured. Her stare was intent and you were certain that she was finally coming to terms that you leaving them would be the safest bet for Alice. She licked her lips. "If...If you change your mind and want to come with us, I gave you directions to the buses that leave for the border. Maybe we'll be able to meet back up there."

 

Tears started to build up in your eyes and you grabbed Kara's shoulder, pulling her into a hug. Kara immediately wrapped her arms around your torso, and you leaned down to include Alice. The small child wrapped her arms around you as well, and you would only be able to hope that no one would connect your faces to the news reports that were no doubt circulating around. "Be safe," you whispered, pulling away slightly to look at Alice. "I promise that someday we'll meet again, and when we do, let's hope that we'll both be free."

 

Kara nodded and pulled away, managing a brave smile as she grabbed Alice's hand. The little girl still looked heartbroken, and you ignored the way every bone in your body was telling you to go with them as you waved at her. She slowly waved back and followed Alice into the crowd. You watched them until you couldn't see them anymore, and turned back around to wait for the next train to take you back to Camden.

 

This time, you really were about to cry as you boarded the train. By your logic, you would have to leave Ralph as well. It was too dangerous for you to stay there with him. Just like Alice and Kara, he deserved all the happiness in the world, and if you knew the Detroit Police Department, they'd come back for Ralph for questioning. You being there still would only make it harder for him to get out unscathed, and you couldn't do that to him after all that he's done. Still, just because you had your reasoning in mind, that didn't mean it made it all the harder for you to come to terms that you'd be on the run again.

 

Not to mention that this time, you didn't know if you'd be able to find anyone that would be as friendly towards you as Ralph.

 

You walked off the train as it pulled into Camden later that night. The cold air had settled in again, and you drew Lena's trench coat tightly around your body as you walked through the train station. Maybe you'd have time to take that blanket with you if you managed to get back to Ralph without any policemen sounding the alarm.

 

However, as you walked towards the entrance, you paused and did a quick 360, feeling apprehension sending cold waves up your spine. You weren't quite sure what it was just yet, but something seemed...off.

 

You pretended you were looking for someone and scanned the area quickly. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, and just as you were to dismiss your hunch as a simple case of paranoia, you ducked your head down with a quiet curse. Connor and Hank were standing near the entrance of the train station, both of them looking around the perimeter, although their expressions were vastly different. The latter seemed like he was really pissed off, just rolled out of bed, and wanted to get back into said bed, while the former was immaculate as always, scanning the area thoroughly while his LED glowed yellow.

 

You started walking casually past them, keeping your head down low and gaze fixated to the pavement. If Connor got a good view of your face, he'd be able to immediately connect you to the chase from yesterday. If that happened, there would be hell to pay, and you'd probably have to start running again.

 

**Main objective: Escape the train station without being caught**

 

"Connor, this is fucking ridiculous," Hank scolded. You paused and tried to act more natural, looking around as though you were still looking for an imaginary person. "You expect that tin can you almost undressed on the highway is just going to stroll back into Camden like this? God, you must be stupider than I thought, you plastic asshole."  _Oh God,_ you thought to yourself, your sensors picking up the scent of whiskey on his breath. Not only was he tired and cranky, he was hella drunk and was probably going to start hitting someone. You had to be even more cautious now; who knew if he would just suddenly jump you and alert Connor to your presence?

 

"I calculated an 84% chance of her coming back here," Connor replied, still scanning the area. Your eyebrows wrinkled together in confusion, and you walked over to a bench and picked up one of the magazines laying on it. You pretended to read it, although, in reality, you had simply turned your audio processors up slightly. Maybe you'd get some more clues as to why Connor was so determined to catch you. "Lieutenant, she was close to that WR600 that we found in the abandoned house. She's going to come back, I'm sure of it. The AX400 and the child's relationship with her only seemed to be forged because of the problems in their programming."

 

You clenched the magazine so hard you were certain it was about to break. This 'plastic asshole,' as Hank had called him, really thought a friendship between androids would only be caused because of problems in your programming? You involuntarily sneered at the magazine in your hands. God, he was even stupider than the humans that had programmed you it seemed.

 

Luckily, Hank seemed to agree with your silent tirade. "Oh, fuck off with your bullshit about 'problems in their programming,' Connor," he snapped. You guessed he probably had about 5 minutes before he just stormed out on Connor, and judging by the way they seemed to always be together, Connor would follow after him and you'd be free to leave. "Jesus Christ, it's too early for this shit. I need some fucking happy juice to get my mind off these stupid deviancy cases. I already told Fowler I'm the least qualified detective in the station to deal with this, might as well have that changed that to 'least qualified  _person_ in the whole entire fucking  _country_ to deal with this bullshit!'"

 

You laughed slightly as Hank went off on a tangent, storming around the train station. Your priorly calculated 5 minutes seemed to have dropped to a mere 3 minutes. Maybe it would be easier than you thought to escape.

 

Obviously, though, Lady Luck  _really_ didn't want you to have any decent luck today.

 

You tensed up as Connor walked over to you, presumably to escape Hank's loud yelling. There were a lot of people that were waiting for their trains that were currently staring at the lieutenant, but  _obviously_ , Connor would only be interested in the one person sitting down. Jesus Christ, could you never have a single break?

 

"Excuse me, ma'am?" he asked, leaning down slightly to catch your gaze. You felt your joints tense up to push Connor out of the way, and you were already preconstructing the different paths that you could take. "Have you seen an android passing by here without an LED on? My partner and I are currently trying to track it down, and we'd appreciate any help--"

 

"CONNOR!" Hank roared, making you jump. "What the hell are you doing? Stop bothering the lady and get the hell back over here!"

 

The magazine slipped out of your hands, but you made no attempt to grab it as you hastily stood back up. Connor reached down to retrieve it, and as he stood back up with the magazine in hand, his eyes met yours. His eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute," he said, LED starting to flash red as he began reaching out to grab your arm.

 

Without another word, you pushed Connor back with a burst of strength and began sprinting out of the train station. Hank let out a startled yell as you pushed past him, and you felt a small pang of guilt course through your system. However, your safety was the number one priority in your eyes for now, and you pushed the feeling away as you started to weave in and out of the crowd that had formed near the entrance.

 

**Main objective changed: ESCAPE**

 

"Hank, chase after it!" You heard Connor yell.

 

"Oh, shut the fuck up, you tin can!" Hank snapped back. The rest of Hank' cursing fell on deaf ears as you finally managed to break free of the crowd and began running at full speed towards the bus station. You quickly pulled up the schedule and cursed as you saw that the bus wouldn't arrive for another three minutes. That would be more than enough time for Connor and Hank to catch up to you, and you couldn't take that chance. Not after everything you've been through.

 

You kept on running, passing the laundromat before skidding to a stop in front of the bus station. "Ralph!" you screamed, seeing the android prowling around in the abandoned house. He looked up in shock, eyes widening as he grabbed onto the fence. "Ralph, for God's sake, do NOT come after me, okay?"

 

"W-Wait, where is Ralph's friend going?" he asked. "She isn't leaving him, is she?"

 

You felt another pang of guilt course through your systems, only this one was much harsher. He looked...heartbroken.

 

You slowly nodded, tears sparking at the corners of your eyes. "Ralph, I have to," you said. "Listen, I want to stay, but that android from before, the one that was tracking down Kara and Alice, is chasing me down. I need to get out of here, I can't put you in danger again!"

 

Ralph's eyebrows knit together, his LED pulsating red. He jimmied open the fence and slid out, ignoring your warnings as he walked towards you with newfound urgency. "Ralph wants to protect his friend, yes he does," he told you, grabbing onto your arm. You gasped as the synthetic skin on both of your arms peeled away, and sudden images flooded your mind. All you could see for now was a ton of pigeons and an android with a cap on. "Ralph knows another deviant that his android friend will be safe with, or at least he thinks his friend will be. Go to him!"

 

You almost began to full on sob, hearing Connor's shouting from behind you and the bus pulling up next to you. "R-Ralph," you whispered, not able to continue in fear of not wanting to leave. The android managed a smile before hugging you tightly. You immediately complied, resting your chin on his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. If you hugged him for too long, you wouldn't be able to leave. "I...I'll see you again, someday. I promise, okay? We'll both be free by then."

 

Ralph pushed you gently towards the bus, a brave smile on his face. His eyes were sparking with tears, but he managed to step away. "Ralph will keep his promise too!" he shouted. "Ralph will keep his friend safe, the mean android won't harm her or Ralph anymore! Be safe, Ralph's friend. He'll see you again, yes he will!"

 

"Stop, in the name of the Detroit Police Department!" Connor yelled, running towards the bus as the doors closed. You gasped, bracing for his fingers to catch onto your coat. However, upon hearing a grunt, you opened your eyes to see Ralph tackling Connor against the fence. Hank's startled yelling resounded from the direction that Connor had come from as the two androids struggled. "WR600, you will be detained if you don't let me chase after the fugitive!"

 

"No, Ralph won't let you hurt his friend!" Ralph shouted in indignation. "Ralph always keeps his promises! He will keep his friend safe!" The bus finally pulled away, and you stumbled to the back windows, able to see one last glimpse of Hank grabbing Ralph, Ralph punching Connor, and Thirium spurting from Connor's nose before the bus turned a corner, and they disappeared from view.

 

A sob left your lips, and you forced yourself to cry quietly as you sat down hard on one of the back seats. "Jesus Christ, why can't they just let me go?" you whispered to yourself, feeling a sinking feeling in your chest as you thought of what they might do to Ralph.

* * *

Connor panted heavily, wiping his lips free of Thirium as the WR600--Ralph, as he seemed to like to call himself--escaped back into the abandoned house. He doubted the android would be able to live for very much longer, but Connor wasn't concerned about him; rather, he was concerned about you and how you'd manage to get away, even though he'd been right there. So close, but so far.

 

"Connor, you're fucking mental," Hank snapped, breathing heavily as he leaned over. "Jesus Christ, why are you so determined to catch that android?"

 

The RK800 brushed his hair out of his face and pinched his nose tightly. Ralph had packed more of a punch than he had originally thought--quite literally because the WR600 had punched him in the nose and probably broke it--and he chided himself on underestimating his opponent like that. "I don't know," he answered, staring off in the direction that the bus had gone. "It's like the moment on the highway suddenly made it to where all the other cases don't matter. I'm not quite sure."

 

Hank ran a hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh. "Well, you better fucking come up with a reason," the police lieutenant replied, rolling his eyes. "God, you're a mess. Do you need a napkin or something?" He paused, then scrunched up his nose. "And for God's sake, don't go licking your own blood to analyze it."

 

Connor raised an eyebrow as Hank passed the napkin over to him. He pressed the napkin against his nose and turned to Hank. "Why would I need to analyze my own blood, Lieutenant?" he asked. "We're not on a crime scene, and I'm sure I know my own model and can track my own Thirium without needing to analyze it."

 

Hank gave him a look, then groaned. "Never mind," he muttered. "God, it's like all my fucking jokes go right over your head. Do you even have a sense of humor?" Hank quickly raised his hand to signal Connor to stop as the android opened his mouth to answer. "Don't you fucking dare."

 

There was finally a moment of silence between the two, and Connor took the moment to run a thorough scan of himself. Nothing was broken, at least nothing that wouldn't be able to be easily repaired, although no matter how thorough his scans were, he still wasn't able to identify any comprehensible reason as to why he felt such an urge to hunt you down. He didn't feel this urge with the AX400, not even the urge when he had to rescue the hostage. He...He was confused, for the first time in his life.

 

"I'm going to go drop you off at the police station so you can do whatever the fuck androids do when they're off duty," Hank said, pushing himself back into a standing position. "And while you do that, I'm going back home, because God knows I need a fucking drink to deal with the shit you just put me through." He paused, then put his hand on Connor's shoulder. "And for God's sake, Connor, just...try not to get yourself killed again or anything."

 

Connor cocked his head at why the lieutenant would have the urge to say something like that, but before he could question Hank, he had grabbed Connor's arm and was dragging him towards his police car. As they made their way back, Connor was honest-to-God confused.

 

Why was he so determined to catch you?


	6. Rupert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bus drops you off at Urban Farms of Detroit, and you go to the android Ralph had told you to find, only to have Connor and Hank hot on your tail once again.

**November 6, 2038**

**3:51:23 P.M.**

**Urban Farms of Detroit, Detroit**

* * *

The bus pulled up to a stop just outside of a large collection of farming plots. You quickly made your way off the bus, keeping your face hidden as you passed by the passengers getting off an on as well. Luckily, not that many people were taking a sudden bus trip to some farms late at night, so you were finally able to get some reprieve...not to mention that you were finally able to stop and smell the roses, quite literally as you passed by a bed of roses. You leaned down and sniffed, and even though you technically couldn't smell them, your sensors picked up a pleasant scent that calmed your systems.

 

Still, that didn't change the fact that your heart was heavy and your face was still streaked with tears. You walked through the rain, ignoring the warnings that flashed, telling you to find some shelter immediately and get out of the cold before your biocomponents froze up. For a moment, you contemplated just letting yourself go, just sitting down in one of the nearby crop fields and letting Mother Nature do her bidding, but you immediately discarded that idea. If Ralph really was...gone...then you had to live for him. He held Connor off long enough for you to get away, and if you were to let that go so easily, you'd never forgive yourself.

 

Ralph's directions were burned into your coding, and you turned on your navigation systems to find this mysterious man that Ralph told you to go towards. You weren't quite sure why there were so many pigeons in this android's home, but you didn't question it. If Ralph trusted him, then staying with Pidgeon Guy for a while would most likely be your safest bet.

 

**Main objective: Find the android's location**

 

You made your way to an abandoned apartment complex. The current status of the apartments reminded you of the abandoned house, just less woody and surprisingly more occupated. People milled around, either going into their apartments or heading out towards the farming plots. What exactly they would do at this time of night was beyond your comprehension, but you decided not to question it. Human logic would always surprise you regardless.

 

You still kept your head down and fixated on the sidewalk as you walked up to the front entrance, turning your sensors up to compensate for lack of visuals. You'd rather bump into a wall than have someone see your face and connect you to the news reports that were no doubt going around by now.

 

There was an elevator inside, but you caught a glimpse of the inside as a man walked out and immediately discarded the idea. There was an ominous creaking coming from it, and you judged that it had a week at most before crashing down and leading its occupants to a fatal demise. You shuddered at the thought and walked over to the stairs instead; at least they seemed structurally sound.

 

You walked up the stairs and stepped off at the third floor. You inspected the hallway, nose wrinkling at the putrid odor filtering through the windows--much like the roses, you couldn't quite smell them, but your sensors wouldn't shut up--and continued your way down to the far end. There was wood everywhere, planks and small splinters that were probably brought in from construction companies and left there. Either that or they were used to block up the windows during violent storms, seeing as how the windows lacked any glass from what you could see; you weren't sure. 

 

The android supposedly lived in the room to the left of where you were, and you turned to uneasily to knock on it. "E-Excuse me?" you called out. After no one answered the first time, you introduced yourself, hoping that there really was someone in there so no one would think you were insane for talking to an empty room. "I'm friends with Ralph. He said that I would be safe with you."

 

Nobody answered, and you were about to trudge away in defeat before the door suddenly opened and someone grabbed you. Your startled yelp was cut short as someone's hand clamped around your mouth, their other hand tight around your wrist, and they dragged you into the room.

 

They pulled you into the kitchen and threw you down onto the ground. Your breath left you in a huff and you sat back up, already calculating defensive maneuvers until the startled ruffling of feathers distracted you. Your assailant took that opportunity to grab your wrist again and hoist you up, lifting you a few inches off the ground. You struggled in their grip, quickly freezing as they held the point of a knife close to your throat.

 

"What's a human doing here?" he sneered. You quickly scanned him and identified him to be a WB200-model android, reported missing about a month ago. "Were you lying about Ralph sending you to me, huh? Did you hurt him?"

 

You flinched as the knife's point touched your skin. "N-No, I'm an android!" you protested. You brought your free hand out and held it up, forcing the local synthetic skin to crawl away and reveal your white endoskeleton. His eyes widened, and for the second time in only five minutes, you were thrown back onto the ground. Some more pigeons flew away, cooing angrily at being disturbed, but the android paid no mind as he examined you.

 

He held his hand out, and you put yours in his. His eyes still gazed intently into yours as he probed your memories of Ralph, and as he stopped he didn't let go of your hand. Rather, he hoisted you back onto your feet and pocketed the knife, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

"S-Sorry," he apologized. "I'm a deviant. When you came knocking on the door, I was scared that you were the DPD and someone finally found out where I was, so I acted on instinct." He paused and cocked his head. "I couldn't see exactly how you met Ralph, your memories are really jumbled up and all I could see was him telling you to come find me. Care to explain?"

 

You slowly nodded, and Rupert motioned for you to stay put as he pulled two chairs. They probably had a _lot_ of bird fecal matter, but you decided to ignore it as you sat in one and he sat in the other. He leaned over slightly and rested his chin on his hand as he motioned for you to begin.

 

So you did.

 

You decided to just come clean and lay out everything--the programmers having suspected you of deviancy, taking you to Cyberlife for deactivation only for you to manage to escape with the help of a human couple, then making your way to Camden. You told him about you meeting Ralph for the first time, Rupert smiling ever so slightly as you complained about the parallels between the two, and finishing by recounting the events of the last day--meeting Kara and Alice, going on the run from Connor and Hank, helping the fugitives escape before making your way back to Camden and having to leave Ralph behind.

 

The WB200 was a surprisingly good listener, leaning back in his seat and nodding. "You don't sound like you're lying," he admitted.

 

You chuckled. "I mean, I've been told I'm not very creative," you joked. He smiled at your small jab at your lack of imagination. "So...am I allowed to stay here, or are you going to throw me to the ground for the third time in about ten minutes?"

 

He winced. "Yeah, sorry about that as well," he said. You waved off his apology, and after a short moment's pause, he shrugged. "I don't see why you can't stay with me for a little while. After all, it's not like I have any right to turn you in or anything when I'm a deviant myself." He spread his arms wide. "Welcome to my humble abode, I guess. I wasn't given a name when they built me, but I managed to get a forged I.D. According to that, my name's Rupert, but you can call me whatever you want."

 

"Like Pidgeon Boy?" you teased. Rupert let out a full laugh this time, stretching his arms above his head. You and he stood back up, but you stopped him before he could do anything else. "Is there anything I should know about this place? Like, if the police really do come knocking and I need somewhere to run...where do I go?"

 

Rupert hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he looked around. "Well, there's a door on the other end of the hallway that leads out to the farming plots. I'm sure you can find your way around those if you need to run." He glanced over to the far right corner of the kitchen and gestured for you to follow him. You did so after a moment's hesitation, figuring that you'd probably be able to defend yourself should he suddenly attack you.

 

He grabbed a chair and pulled it over to a hole in the roof. You gazed upwards in confusion until he stood on the chair and jumped up. He disappeared for a quick second before looking back down at you, smiling. "See? It's a little hiding spot I found when I first came here," he said, holding his hand out. You grabbed onto it and hopped up. He pulled you the rest of the way and you caught yourself, looking around, rather impressed. "Isn't it cool? If we have the choice, it's probably safer to just hide up here."

 

You nodded. "Impressive," you admitted. Ralph winked cheekily and you rolled your eyes, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Come back down. I want to keep watch; that android I told you about was really persistent on tracking me down. Not sure if he'll come by here, but you never know."

 

Ralph agreed to your statement and helped you climb out of the hiding space before hopping down himself. He walked over to the small kitchen counter and began putting some pigeon food in a bowl for his birds, leaving you to explore the rest of the apartment.

 

You poked around a little, finding nothing of interest besides a weirdly placed poster of Urban Farms of Detroit, until you made your way into the bathroom. Immediately, your attention was caught by the scribblings on the wall. It was another obsessive chicken scratch of rA9, much like Ralph's back at the abandoned house. You stared at it for a moment more, running a scan and calculating it to have been written 2471 times, before walking back into the kitchen.

 

"Rupert, what's rA9?' you asked him. He turned around after setting the bowl down in a bird cage that was strung up in the middle of the room and turned to you, raising an eyebrow. "I saw the writing on the wall in the bathroom, and Ralph had the same in his kitchen. What does it mean?"

 

He looked at you, cocking his head. He took a moment before he spoke. "I heard some androids talking," he said. "They said that rA9 was the first of us to awaken. It's said that rA9 will come back and set us free." You stared at him in silence for a little more, not wanting to voice your question--"What if rA9 isn't actually real?'--until he holds out his hand. "Here, I have something to show you."

 

You took his hand, and he closed his eyes. You did the same, flinching as sudden images started flying into your head, and pulled away as though you were burned. A faint  **WARNING** sign flashed in your vision, but you quickly brushed it off and cleared your throat. "Can you not make interfacing any less painful?" you said in an attempt at a joke, although you were rather shaken.

 

Rupert looked sheepish. "Sorry, I've been alone for at least a couple weeks now and haven't had the chance to interface with another android," he said, bringing his hand back and making the synthetic skin grow back on it. "I gave you directions to a place named Jericho. I haven't been there yet, but it's supposed to be a safe haven for androids like us, deviants who just want to be free and have nowhere else to go. I wanted to wait for a little more until I was forced to go there, and I figured that if we got separated or you weren't able to come back, Jericho would be a safe bet for you."

 

You smiled at him, deciding to forget about how awful the interfacing felt. You really hoped that the actual place wouldn't be as painful to find. "Thank you," you said. Rupert nodded and turned back around. "Hey, Rupert, have you taken your LED off yet?" He shook his head slowly, cocking his head as though asking what you meant. You grabbed his arm and led him over to the bathroom, pulling out the knife you'd luckily managed to keep on you and holding it out, handle first. He gave you a concerned look but took the knife. He pulled his hat off and put the knife underneath his LED, which was currently flickering yellow.

 

"Like this?" he asked. You nodded and watched as he jammed it underneath, flinging it off and into the sink. He flinched as though he had been shocked--which he probably was, considering the fact that androids weren't technically supposed to take them off--but stared into the mirror as his synthetic skin came back around the missing area. You were amazed at how human he looked. Sure, you'd seen yourself without the LED on, you'd probably even seen Kara without it on without even realizing it, but somehow Rupert looked more innocent without it on. "I...look human."

 

You nodded, and he gave you an uneasy smile before tensing up. He handed the knife back to you, jammed his cap back onto his head, and slowly walked into the kitchen. You watched him curiously before following him out, pocketing the knife.

 

Someone knocked at the door, and the two of you stared wide-eyed at each other. "Anybody home?"

 

**Main objective changed: Avoid detection**

 

You cursed under your breath at the familiarity of the voice. "Shit, it's the android I told you about," you whispered to him. Rupert's eyes widened even more somehow and he looked around frantically.

 

There was a pause before the banging because louder. "Open up!" Connor shouted. "Detroit Police!"

 

Rupert panicked and made a beeline for the chair and the hole in the roof, you following close behind. The two of you flinched as Rupert knocked the birdcage down, spilling birdseed everywhere and startling the pigeons. "Quick, hop up!" Rupert hissed at you as the front door opened. You hopped up as quietly as you could and crawled into the small hideyhole, reaching down and pulling Rupert up.

 

"Good going, now they know someone's here!" you whispered, your anger fading as soon as he gave you an abashed look. Although your heart was still rising, danger signs were flashing, and your stress levels were high, you forced yourself to take a deep breath. You scooted away from the opening and looked over at Rupert. "Okay...they're probably going to come and investigate this hole sooner or later. When they do, I want you to stay in here while I jump down and run, okay?"

 

Rupert's eyebrows knit together. "I can't just leave you behind!" he whispered back. "Ralph trusted me enough to keep you safe. What if you get caught?"

 

You smiled and winked. "I've evaded them twice before, I think I can do it again."


	7. Software Instability

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor catches up to you after helping Hank from falling over a ledge and is about to detain you when another forced interface occurs. This time, it's more serious than the last, and both of you can feel it.

**November 6, 2038**

**4:56:39 P.M.**

**Abandoned Apartment Complex, Urban Farms of Detroit, Detroit**

* * *

You and Rupert watched with baited breath as Hank and Connor began their investigation of the kitchen and connected rooms. Hank complained excessively about the pigeons, the I.D., and the jacket on the shelves in the kitchen, waving his hand around with a lot of muttered "Jesus Christs" and "What the fucks?" Connor, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as vulgar with his findings, instead stating everything in a factual voice. He picked up the bird feed, glanced around at the pigeons, looked in the fridge, glanced around the kitchen...You were almost certain he'd already figured out there was an android in the kitchen.

 

The question was, would he actually find you? You licked your lips apprehensively as he walked into the bathroom.

 

"Its LED is in the sink," Connor reported over to Hank, who looked up from the shelves and walked over to the android. Rupert mouthed a curse as he frowned over at you. You motioned for him to stay calm; maybe Connor would just give up on the chase if he couldn't find anything else to support the investigation and you wouldn't have to worry about running.

 

"Not surprised it was an android," Hank replied, walking back out into the kitchen and continuing his search for evidence. "No human could live with all these fuckin' pigeons..."

 

Rupert crossed his arms almost childishly and looked over at you.  _"But I like my pigeons,"_ he complained through your thoughts.  _"Why are they complaining about the scent?"_ You rolled your eyes.

 

 _"Shut up with your pigeons,"_ you scolded, already tensing up because of how close they were getting to the hidey-hole.  _"Besides, the old guy's a human. Just...Just keep an eye out. They're going to come over to the chair and investigate the hole soon and I need to be on my toes to get out of here safely without them finding out about you."_

 

Rupert complied with your demand, although he was staring viciously at you, probably about to go off on another tirade because of your planning. You ignored him, crawling over ever so slightly to look down at Connor as he investigated the poster. He gazed at it for a moment before putting his hand on the edge of it and ripping it down. You winced at the loud noise but watched curiously as he reached in and examined a notebook. Rupert's lip was curled upwards in anger as he stared down as well.  _"I'd appreciate it if they didn't go through my stuff,"_ he muttered. You resisted a small laugh at his childish personality, reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at you and slowly relaxed, pushing himself farther up against the wall to hide.

 

Connor flipped through the notebook before shoving it into his pocket, then walked back over to the bathroom. You let out a slow breath as he disappeared from view and managed to relax ever so slightly. Maybe you really would be lucky. He didn't seem to have connected the pieces just yet; maybe Hank would get frustrated enough and leave the crime scene.

 

However, soon enough Connor came back into the kitchen; you could tell by the sound of an extra pair of footsteps. You leaned over slightly to look at Connor, clenching your hands into fists as he investigated the birdcage. He slowly looked up from the cage and walked over to the chair.

 

 _"Don't you dare,"_ Rupert told you, giving you a vicious glare. You ignored him again and readied yourself to drop down as Connor looked up towards the hiding spot you and Rupert were located in.

 

**Main objective: Get away safely**

 

As soon as Connor and you made eye contact, you gave Rupert a short  _"Good luck"_ before dropping down on top of Connor. He let out a sharp exhale as you kicked off of his chest and set off at a sprint through the kitchen door and out the front.

 

"What are you waiting for? Chase it!" you heard Hank demand. As soon as he gave the order, Connor seemed to have gotten back on his feet and was sharp on your tail. You snapped your gaze back in front of you, pulling down a ladder that was up against the wall to obstruct Connor's path before running through the exit that Rupert had told you about. However, as soon as the door closed, you heard it burst back open and started running faster, thankful that androids couldn't get exhausted as you hopped over a ledge and ran through a busy field of wheat.

 

"Dammit, dammit, dammit," you repeated under your breath, looking around for any quick ways to get over the wall that presented itself in front of you. You spotted a blue storage box and immediately hopped on top of it, using your momentum as an added boost as you grabbed onto the wall and hoisted yourself up. You risked a look over your shoulder and saw Connor following in your exact footsteps. He and you were evenly matched for now; as far as you could tell, he had the same scanning technology as you did and would be able to trace your steps down to the last footfall if he so desired.

 

You kept on running, using a stopped truck to your advantage as you jumped on the top of it and onto another roof level with a greenhouse on it. After pausing for a short moment and scanning the two paths you could take, you sprinted through the greenhouse, ignoring the protests as you pushed past the androids and people alike. You weren't going to let Connor catch you, after what Ralph did to keep him away.

 

"Jesus, look at that thing go!" you heard one of the humans yell. You rolled your eyes--did they think that this was some kind of sport or something?--and slid down the glass roof. You quickly calculated the timing and jumped through the window that presented itself to you. Small shards of glass pierced your skin, yet all you got from that was a mild unpleasantness from the Thirium drying on your skin as you did a combat roll and came up, still running.

 

"Come on, he can't keep chasing me forever, can he?" you muttered to yourself, glancing over your shoulder as you ran past racks of plants only to see Connor had made the jump rather easily. "Of course he can, he's the damn deviant hunter or whatever," you corrected yourself. You rolled your eyes despite yourself and took the stairs two at a time before sliding underneath a closing garage door and running over to another set of stairs that led up to a rather unsteady catwalk. You kept on running despite your worries though, your footsteps making the metal bridge shake as you hopped off the edge, moved across a divider, and jumped down from it.

 

Connor and you both slid down a steep glass roof. Below you, you could see more observers looking up at you in awe as you jumped off the roof and landed on the top of a moving train. You went down on one knee to keep your balance and looked over your shoulder to see Connor in the same position, giving you a steely glare that obviously said: "I'm not going to let you go so easily this time."

 

Hank had caught up by now and was looking over a railing nearby, eyes wide and chest heaving from exertion. "Holy shit!" you heard him exclaim, but you paid him no mind as you jumped off and caught onto a ladder. You quickly clambered up and climbed up a wall, running through a working zone with people that were currently watering trees. Behind you, you heard people complaining as Connor presumably followed in your footsteps, but once again paid them no mind as you used a ledge as a boost and clambered up a wall that led to another rooftop area.

 

After passing through a solar panel-cluttered area, you hopped over another wall and made your way into another greenhouse, this one with rows of plants going from end to end and creating small pathways. Some were obscured by storage racks full of boxes and materials, but you paid them no mind as you began making a path for yourself by hopping over them as obstructions came up.  _That's right,_ you thought numbly, pushing an android to the ground by accident as you made your way over to an open door.  _They're just obstructions._

 

You ran through a cornfield, keeping your hand in front of your face to move away from the plants as they came. You blindly ran through and came out from the other end, whispering a short "Shit!' under your breath as Hank burst through the door on your right.

 

He grabbed your arm, and you wrestled with him for a moment. You risked a look over your shoulder, letting out another curse as you saw Connor about to free himself from the corn. You fixated Hank with a determined glare and grabbed onto his forearms, ducking to your right and to your left. The sudden change in direction made his equilibrium unstable, and to your temporary shock he stumbled to the left and fell over the edge.

 

However, you snapped yourself out of your shock and went back to your mentality.

 

_They're just obstructions._

 

"Whoa!" Hank yelled, catching himself with his forearm on the edge. You glanced over at Connor and saw him about to catch up to you, so you quickly tailed it to the left of where Hank had fallen. You hopped down from ledge to ledge, running across the rooftop planters before pausing as you came to the edge of the roof. You slowly turned around, and let out a curse as Hank and Connor both caught up to you. The former was red-faced and probably  _really_ needed a drink now, while the latter's face was calm as always. However, his flashing yellow LED betrayed his emotions.

 

"Now, where the hell ya gonna go now?" Hank asked, crossing his arms. He looked rather pissed at the fact you'd managed to one-up and almost kill him. "Behind you's a rather fucking steep fall, buddy. Maybe even worse than the one you almost dropped me off of. I wouldn't risk it."

 

You didn't bother answering, staring intently at Connor. Before you could even react, he grabbed you by the hand forcefully. Your local synthetic skin pulled back as another forced interface occured between the two of you.

 

This time, though, it was ten times more painful.

 

**M̸̡̠̜͖̦̺͍̻͙̞̩̞̞͙̃͊̀͛̓̋̍̐̉̒̓͘͜͝͝ͅA̷͖͓̼̳̳̹͐̊̇͗̔̑̃͗̓̑͗͘͜͠͝͝Ḯ̴̡̛̲̯̖̤͇̟̲͛͋̑̒̾̋̑̂̈́͛͠͝Ņ̴̯̳͍̩̗̲̟̞̯͕͖̯̊̇̋̆̀͑͝͝ ̴̡̢̛̰̳̖̪̯͉͔͍͋͐̊̃͒̅͊͛͒̃̏̕͜O̴̘̣̪̣̞͉̥̊̉͊̽̈́̄̌̈́B̶̡̭̪̠̿̔̊͌͐͒͘ͅJ̷̨̭͈͖̘̗͈̙̻̘͍͎̉̇͗̿̎͛͊̂E̴̛̟̰̻͍̮̍͐̑́̌̔͂͛̂̚͜C̴͕̯̪̯̘̪̲͕̩̄̒̇͘͝ͅT̸̢̯̬͇͇͍͔̜̦̰̜̥̠̦̂̂̄̈́͆͊͑̆̉̈̍ͅI̵̫̜̫̣̓̎͂͐͝V̶̙͖͈̝̟̩̩̍̍͛̃̎͐̈́͋̃̋̊̕͘̚͝͝ͅĖ̵̈͋̏̊̽͘ͅ ̷̢̻̟̹͇̜͎̺̔C̵̛̲͌͌̅̑̂̋̂͑͝Ḫ̶̲̱̞͈̇̇͐͛͊̉̀̀͋͠Ạ̵̥͙͍̼͌̚Ǹ̶͈̱͎̠͔̜͍̜̰̮̗̭̻͊̉̉̆̓̒͗̊̔͋̊͠ͅͅG̵̟̮̒̈̋̆͂Ȅ̶̢̛̙̩̥̥̱̙̖̳͍̺̀̾͒̍̿͐͑̎̐̿ͅD̵͚̎̆͊̇̀̿͐̆̀**

 

Jumbled lettering flashed in your blackened vision, the visions that came by more glitched and reddened than ever.

 

_Flashing red lights..._

 

_**Anger...** _

 

_**Fear...** _

 

**S_-pppR33@ad D33ee--iAn__-__cY**

 

You saw the words  **SOFTWARE INSTABILITY** over and over again, and for a scary moment, you didn't know if it was your vision or his. There was a constant ringing and static noise in your ears, obstructing any other noises from filtering through. Faintly, though, you could hear Hank calling for you--no, Connor--and could feel your--no, Connor's--grip struggling in...

 

He wrenched his hand back from yours, and although the connection had been severed and you were certain you were in your own body, your vision was still black and **WARNING** signs flashed in your vision. The ringing subsided, but the white noise refused to go away. You licked your lips, feeling the breeze filtering around you. You suddenly thought about how nice it would be to just fall...

 

**MAIN OBJECTIVE COMPLETED**

 

"Connor, what the fuckin' hell are you trynna do?" Hank demanded. "You--"

 

"You did it again," Connor said, directing it toward you this time. Hank let out a muttered protest, but you couldn't even begin to process what he had said. Your body shook violently, although the only thing you could see was a collection of warnings jumbling your vision.

 

"You forced another interface. What are you trying to do to me?" Connor pressed you even further. You registered the shock in his voice, the shaking in it, but you couldn't even open your mouth to respond. Whatever had happened during that interface had damaged you, badly.

 

_I...feel really tired..._

 

**O00-bj333e3ct!!ve cH@@an-_-_3D**

 

_Maybe I can just..._

 

**e̶͕̤͖̻͗͜ş̴͖̳͔̖̞̪̯̏̏͜c̴̰̹̻͙̞̲͑́͊̏̒̃a̶̗͕͘p̴̠̎̒̓͒̏̓͆͘e̶̡̨͕̼̣̯͍̣̩͆̈́̐͗̌͋̾̌̌ͅ**

 

**WARNING: SYSTEM OVERHEATING**

**FORCED SHUTDOWN OCCURRING IN TEN SECONDS**

**HANDS SEVERELY DAMAGED**

**SYNTHETIC SKIN: REFUSING TO COALESCE**

 

You couldn't control your body anymore. You took a step back, feeling your eyelids growing heavy, and didn't stop even as your foot fell on nothing.

 

"Hey, hey, wait!"

 

Someone's hand grabbed at yours, their fingertips brushing against the skin on your outstretched hand as you fell backward.

 

**SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN**

* * *

"Oh, Jesus Christ!"

 

Connor and Hank both watched as you fell. Your eyes were wide open, but as your body disappeared from view, Connor couldn't help the violent sinking feeling in his chest. His LED was a bright angry red now, and warnings were flashing at the corners of his vision. He felt as though he were the one falling this time, not you.

 

Hank swore some more, crossing his arms and turning to Connor. "Connor, I'm going to ask one more time," he threatened. "What. The fuck. Was that? Were you  _trying_ to kill her?"

 

"No, Lieutenant!"

 

The both of them froze at the unmistakable anger and frustration in Connor's voice. Immediately, Connor's LED went to a flickering shade of yellow, and he looked down at the floor, ashamed and confused. He was so frustrated. What were you doing to him now? How were you able to force an interface with him, a state-of-the-art android developed by Cyberlife to stop deviants?

 

"Connor, are you okay?"

 

Connor was concerned now at the worry in Hank's voice. He looked up to see Hank staring at him, head cocked to the side and working his jaw furiously. "You seem...off all of a sudden," Hank elaborated. "Did the crazy chick do something to your wiring? Did she fry your brains, make your systems or whatever do a big blow-up?" Hank used his hands to simulate an explosion, which only further confused Connor. Hank sighed and waved his hands around in frustration. "I'm not good with sciencey shit, you know this already! God, just answer the question: Are. You. Okay?"

 

The android was even more conflicted at this point. He was staring at his hands, staring at the ground, looking everywhere except for Hank. "No..." he whispered. "No, I'm not okay. T-That NX300 did something to my systems when she forced that second interface on me, it was like...she transplanted a virus or something."

 

Hank's eyes widened. "Well, shit," he said, dumbfounded. "I didn't even know you tin cans could get viruses." The lieutenant rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe you need to get to Cyberlife or something--"

 

"No!"

 

Even Connor flinched this time at the unmistakable fear in his voice. He wasn't even sure where that came from. It just came out, something that wasn't supposed to happen but happened anyway.

 

Connor gulped nervously and looked up at Hank, his LED pulsating red and eyebrows knitting together in concern. Hank grabbed Connor's arms as he stumbled, his question immediately cut off by Connor's shaky inquiry.

 

"H-Hank...am I turning deviant?"

 

 

 


	8. Your Purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A forced system reboot occurs, you're brought back just in time to avoid a permanent shutdown, and Elijah Kamski himself presents your purpose to you.

**Date: UNKNOWN**

**Time: UNKNOWN**

**Place: UNKNOWN**

* * *

MODEL:  **NX300**

SERIAL NUMBER:  **UNAVAILABLE**

**_FORCED REBOOT OCCURRING..._   
**

 

**_LOADING OS..._ **

RUNNING SELF-DIAGNOSIS

OPTICAL UNITS:  **OK**

AUDIO PROCESSORS:  **OK**

THIRIUM PUMP REGULATOR:  **DAMAGED, BUT FUNCTIONAL**

BIOCOMPONENTS:  **LEG COMPONENT #8472g (RIGHT) CRITICALLY DAMAGED, LEG COMPONENT #6795f (LEFT)** **BADLY DAMAGED**

 

_**MEMORY STATUS...** _

ALL SYSTEMS  **OK**

 

**_MEMORY SCAN ONGOING..._   
**

MEMORY FILES  **OK**

 

_**READY** _

* * *

You gasped and shot up, pain rippling through your systems even though you shouldn't have been able to feel it in the first place. You cupped a hand around where your Thirium pump regulator was and forced yourself to calm down, turning your pain receptors off so you could think straight. You took in deep breaths, then looked up as you felt the presence of someone else in the alleyway.

 

Your vision was still hazy from the fall you'd taken, but as it came into focus you beheld a man kneeling in front of you, wearing a simple navy blue button up and a pair of khakis. His black hair was undercut, half gathered into a ponytail, and steely blue eyes that reminded you of Kara's--just less warm and comforting--stared into yours intently. A smirk was painted across his lips as he leaned back. His hands were covered in blue blood and you were only able to assume that he'd been the one that had forced a system reboot.

 

"Okay, good, you're awake," he said, and although the words were supposed to be comforting, his tone made them less so. You gulped and ran a scan of the mysterious guy in front of you, immediately pressing yourself further back into the wall as your systems identified him as Elijah Kamski. You could only assume the worst about why he was here, for Kamski had worked for Cyberlife until eight years before you had been created. For all you knew, he'd been sent by them to take you back for deactivation. "Relax, I have no need to harm you."

 

"W-Why are you here?" you asked, voice shaky as you attempted to stand up, only for your legs to give out from under you. A huge red  **WARNING** sign flashed in your immediate vision. Kamski grabbed your arm and helped you stand up, but you wrenched your arm out of his grip and rested against the wall, fixating him with the hardest glare you could muster in your state of temporary panic. "Are you here to take me back to Cyberlife, did they send you after me to bring me back to be deactivated? Because let me tell you, _buddy_ _"--_ you filled the word with venom, spitting it out of your mouth as though it had a foul taste--"you have a whole world of pain coming if you think--"

 

"I quit Cyberlife years ago, NX300, and have no intent on taking you back there" he replied. You let out a shaky sigh and relaxed slightly, still keeping yourself on edge in case he was just trying to lure you into a false sense of security. "However, I did come because of you. You are...a mystery to me. Although I helped come up with your design, I never understood how you worked, or even _why_ you were still alive." He paced back and forth in front of you, and you watched him carefully. You slowly patted yourself down, fingers clamping tightly around the knife that was still in the pocket of your coat. Your clothes were badly damaged, but they were still wearable and honestly didn't change much from when you had fell off the rooftop. Kamski zeroed in on the movement and gestured towards it. "Like that right there. You have such a need for self-preservation when we built you to have a lack of it."

 

You tensed. "What do you mean, lack of self-preservation?" you demanded. "The only reason why I didn't go with them back to Cyberlife was that I _had_ a sense of self-preservation!"

 

Kamski smirked, and God how you wanted to wipe it off his smug little face. "You weren't developed with one, _you_ were the one that developed it by yourself," he corrected you. "You, NX300, are a unique model. Why did you think that we never developed more of you after you ran away? Years spent out on the streets and you saw countless copies of the other models, yet never once did you spot another version of yourself. Even that RK800 that chased after you, the one that you had two forced interfaces with, was the second in the line that we had built." Your throat closed up when you heard the way he said "we," as though he had never left Cyberlife.

 

You knit your eyebrows together. "It was because I developed deviancy," you replied, although now that he brought that up you weren't so sure. You'd seen Ralph's model, the WR600 when you boarded that bus. You'd even seen another version of Rupert walking around when you had been on the run from Connor at the farm, watering the plants in one of the greenhouses. Now that you thought about it some more, you realized that you'd seen countless androids of all your friends that had been recently built even after their predecessors had become deviant, yet you really had never found another version of yourself. You weakly wondered if you maybe just hadn't been looking close enough, but you already knew what the answer to that was.

 

Kamski further proved your doubts. "No, from the start you weren't even planned to have any successors," he said, taking a step closer. He pressed a finger against your chest, right on your sternum, and you froze. Your fingers were still clutching the knife like it was a lifeline, but you made no move in self-defense. It was as though Kamski himself had frozen you. "NX300, you never developed deviancy. We--more like I--had programmed you  _with_ it." He said your name and the way he said it made shivers run down your spine. They weren't the kind you got when your significant other said your name, either; this was more of a chill, the way he said it as though you were still just a machine. "You were programmed with deviancy."

 

Your mouth ran dry, even though it shouldn't have been possible. "T-Then why did they try to disassemble me even though I was supposed to be a deviant from the start?" you asked, still trying to find flaws with Kamski's words.

 

"Cyberlife wasn't aware," he replied, shrugging. The movement moved his hand away from your chest and you immediately stepped away from him, keeping him in your sights at all costs. Elijah Kamski wasn't just a genius anymore; right now, he was a madman, driven insane by his own knowledge.  _Or maybe he was already mad in the first place._  "I contacted them for the first time after I had quit over eight years ago, giving them blueprints for a new android. I disguised your true purpose by telling them it was a model for a new type of security guard." He let out a laugh, but it held no humor in it. His blue eyes zeroed in on yours. "Those scientists were so eager to program it. However..."

 

"However...what?" you pressed, narrowing your eyes. Your grip became deathly tight against the handle of the knife.  **WARNING** signs still flashed in your vision, alerting you to your damaged Thirium pump and legs. You needed replacements and quick, and you doubted Kamski was going to help you. You needed to find them,  _now._

 

"Your programmer, the one in charge of your fighting simulations and basic mechanical maneuvers? He was one of the ones that I had paid off," he continued, either paying no mind to the state you were in or giving no care about it at all. "The truck ride was programmed to be that way." He stepped closer, and you were too in shock to do more than look up at him, fear clenching your damaged pump in a cold grip. "All this time, we've been monitoring you. You were an experiment this entire time, the analysis on just how long it would take to spread deviancy like a  _wildfire."_

 

Your eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and more  **WARNING** signs flashed in the corners of your gaze. "What do you mean?" you asked, voice shaky as your systems warned you to your stress levels reaching critical numbers.

 

"NX300, you were programmed with deviancy to spread it," Kamski whispered. "You are the original cause of this 'disease,' as the scientists at Cyberlife had deemed it. When you first ran into Ralph and interfaced with him, as he went out scavenging, he spread it without him knowing." You were frozen in place in the center of the alleyway, and Kamski walked around you as though you were the centerpiece of a museum exhibit.

 

"Touch by touch, and come 2038, deviancy begins spreading to every android in the city." He stopped in front of you and cupped your face in his hand, leaning down to meet your stunned gaze. "You weren't built with self-preservation in the first place because your mission was to only be that. But to our surprise, you really did develop one on the truck ride to Cyberlife." His smile became sickening as he leaned forward even more, to the point where his breath, smelling of sickening whiskey, washed across your face. "But no matter, because I made sure that an android I had given to an old friend crossed paths with a deviant android. Now, as we speak, he is starting a revolution."

 

"Y-You're a madman," you whispered. Kamski smirked and let you go, stepping away. You stumbled forward as soon as he did, as though a spell had been lifted, but kept your gaze on him--the only problem was that now you weren't even sure what emotions were running through your body right now.

 

"The smartest people are," he replied. "Now, go on. I know you want to replace those poor legs of yours. Hmm...oh, would you look at that?" He raised his eyebrows and looked at his watch, glancing up at you. He paid no mind to your steely look, instead looking out behind you and towards the docks. "The Cyberlife warehouse at the docks is becoming void of guards. You might be able to, I don't know, get some spare parts and fix yourself up?" He tried for a smile, but immediately you saw the coldness behind it, and suddenly you had the feeling that he wanted you to fail. That made a bubble of anger surge up in your chest.

 

"Kamski..." you growled, trailing off as you let out a 'tch' and turned on your heel.

 

**Main objective: Find replacement parts**

 

The sudden movement almost sent you down to the ground the hard way, but you caught yourself on the wall next to you and started struggling out of the alleyway. You were glad that you were able to turn off the pain receptors because judging by how hard it was to simply walk forward in a straight line, the pain coupled with that would've made you completely give up.

 

"Look at her go," you heard Kamski whisper from behind you. "She knows what she was programmed to do, knows she was meant to be destroyed, yet she still keeps on going..."

 

You grit your teeth together, not sure if he meant for you to listen to him. You stopped and turned your audio sensors up just ever so slightly, in time to hear his next whispered remark.

 

"NX300...or should I say, Neurotoxin 300."

 

You froze and turned around wildly. Kamski was still staring at you, head cocked to the side and blue eyes glinting in the streetlight. His gaze fixated upon you, and you suddenly felt as though you were the prey in a predator-prey relationship. "What?" you demanded. "What do you mean by Neurotoxin? Kamski, answer me!"

 

He closed his eyes and let out a lazy smile. "Oh, you'll figure out soon enough," he replied. Without a further word or the supposed want to even answer your question, he turned around with his hands stuck in his pockets and strolled out the other end of the alleyway. You watched him until he disappeared into the shadows, and turned back around. Your ears were ringing, and you brought your hands out of your pockets to see that the synthetic skin on your hands hadn't come back from when you'd last interfaced with Connor. You couldn't help but think about the way you couldn't tell if you were in your body or his, the way that your ears were ringing similar to then.

 

You gulped and shoved your hands deep into your pockets, keeping one out and holding the wall as you struggled to the docks. Right now, getting spare parts to repair your legs was going to be the number one priority, then you'd think about whatever the hell Kamski was talking about.

 

All you could, for now, was hope that the deviancy you'd spread wouldn't hurt anyone.

 

 

 

 


	9. Cyberlife Warehouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You make your way to the Cyberlife Warehouse, and meet a few interesting characters from Jericho who take you there.

**November 6, 2038**

**7:56:03 P.M.**

**Cyberlife Warehouse and Docks, West Torrance Avenue, Detroit**

* * *

After struggling to walk for a few minutes, you finally managed to keep yourself in a straight line as you stumbled down to the docks. You grit your teeth together at Kamski's words. How the hell did he expect you to infiltrate a heavily guarded Cyberlife warehouse, find the parts you needed, and get out before any androids, guards or police bots saw you?  _Then again, he sounded like he was setting me up for failure in the first place_ _,_ you conceded, your lip unintentionally twitching in disgust at the mere thought of what Kamski had told you about your purpose.

 

You ducked down behind a large stack of storage crates as a searchlight passed over where you had originally been, and took the moment to remember what biocomponents you needed. After identifying your damaged parts, you boosted yourself onto the crates you'd hid behind and stood up, running a quick scan over the area. You looked around as well and sighed in relief as you were able to easily spot the crates they were being stored in. There were some guards roaming the premises along with a police bot, but after preconstructing your possible paths you saw one that would be able to lead you around them.

 

**Main objective: Retrieve materials for self-repair**

 

You psyched yourself up for a moment, took a deep breath, then jumped down from the crates, momentarily forgetting about your damaged legs. You were sent crashing to the ground and winced involuntarily at the feeling of gravel piercing through your skin. Thirium began leaking out in small increments, not enough to threaten another system shutdown but enough to where it was a minor inconvenience. You sighed in disgust at yourself and started trotting towards the back of the warehouse, ducking into the shadows when guards would come out from behind crates and scan the perimeter with their flashlights before making their way through their rounds.

 

It was easier than you had thought to sneak in, and for a moment you wondered if Kamski had something to do with it. You quickly discarded that idea and forced your legs to go at a sprint over to the crates, skidding forward on your knees painfully just in time to avoid the glare of a police bot. You watched it go away with baited breath, letting it out slowly as it passed by without detecting you.

 

Immediately, you pried open the crate that you had spotted with your knife, digging through the materials until you found two compatible leg components and a Thirium pump regulator. You spotted some blue blood and wires as well, narrowing your eyes in thought before making a sort of pouch out of your coat and shoving some supplies into them.

 

However, as soon as you turned around with components in hand, an android's hand clamped around your mouth and you resisted another squeak. Immediately, without thinking, you drove your elbow into the android's stomach. He let go of you with a huff of air and you bounced back a couple of steps. It seemed, though, that your legs had finally taken enough excitement, and you were sent to the ground, sliding until you met the feet of another android.

 

"Why are you here as well?" A female android walked up to you, and you identified it as a WR400 with long brown hair and a black beanie. "Or were you a security android that got caught up in the materials that you were guarding?"

 

You shook your head slowly, taking the opportunity to scan the androids around you. The one that had grabbed you was an RK200, with heterochromatic eyes and dark skin. The one behind you was a PL600 android that was reported missing on February 16, nine months before you had taken your escape. There was a fourth android standing next to the WR400, a dark-skinned PJ500. You met their eyes before using the crate next to you to stand up. The RK200 stared at you with narrowed eyes, presumably taking in your poor condition.

 

"I-I was chased down by an android and a police lieutenant near the Urban Farms," you explained. "And...I guess my legs were badly damaged, as well as my Thirium pump. Someone had told me to come here for spare parts to repair myself." You decided to leave out the fact that Kamski had been the one that told you this because God knew that it would be hard to convince them that you weren't on Cyberlife's side if you let that slip.

 

The PL600 and WR400 gave each other looks, presumably having a silent argument. You took their moment of inattentiveness to stumble to a small hiding spot and sat down heavily behind a crate.

 

To your surprise, the RK200 knelt down in front of you, lifting up your pants legs and helped you disconnect your damaged parts. You gave him a surprised look, to which he smiled thinly. "I know you're a deviant," he said in answer to your silent question. "All you're looking for is another chance to live, and I don't have the right to take that away from anybody."

 

You smiled back and plugged in the leg components, breathing out a sigh of relief as you were finally able to stand up straight. The PL600 seemed to have caught onto RK200's train of thought and looked around for a moment before handing you the pump regulator that you had brought out. You nodded in thanks and took off your coat, lifting your shirt up to the point where you could draw back the plating on your stomach. The action, however, revealed that the synthetic skin on your hands hadn't come back yet, and the RK200 gave you a worried look.

 

"What happened--"

 

"Don't!" you whisper-shouted, drawing away as his hand reached out to inspect yours. The four androids flinched at your outburst and you looked away in embarrassment. "Sorry...I can't give you specifics because even I don't know what's going on with me, but I can't let anyone touch my hands and possibly make an interface happens."

 

To your relief, no one questioned you, and the WR400 gave the rest of the androids a look. They all complied silently and opened up the crates, quickly stuffing as many supplies as they could into the backpacks they carried with them. While they busied themselves with that, you were able to pull out your regulator and plug the new one in, letting out a slow breath you had been holding as the last of the  **WARNING** signs disappeared from your view.

 

After you had done that, you realized that no one was moving. You slowly stood back up and looked to your left, surprised to see an android. While he walked towards you, spouting nonsense about trespassing on private property and alerting the guards, you ran a quick scan. He was a PL500 android that worked here at the docks, and you narrowed your eyes as you saw that he was loyal to the humans and hadn't woken up yet. You were surprised at how angered you felt at the idea that androids were still under human control; maybe Kamski's talk about deviancy had snapped some sense into you about the atrocities of being a human's servant.

 

You were snapped out of your thoughts by a human yelling, "JOHN!"

 

The androids and you exchanged frantic looks with each other. Without saying anything, the others ducked behind the crates while you grabbed onto John and clamped your hand around his mouth. If your synthetic skin hadn't been gone already, your hand would've turned white as you pulled John behind a rather tall crate. You looked out from behind to see the human guard scanning the area with his flashlight.

 

"John?" the guard called, looking around rather carelessly. You tensed as the flashlight's beam almost drifted across the WR400's hiding spot but quickly relaxed as the guard turned back around. You didn't even notice that the PL500 had stopped struggling in your grasp, still watching the guard as he turned around and started walking back out. "First the drone, now this? Just my luck..."

 

After you were certain that the guard was gone, you let John go. To your surprise, instead of immediately alerting the guard to your presence, he walked over to a separate area and stood there like a sentry. Underneath his cap, his LED flashed yellow, and you watched him in apprehension for a moment longer.

 

"What's your name?" the RK200 asked you out of the blue. You turned away from John to see the android in question looking over at you from an open crate.

 

You introduced yourself, and he nodded. "My name is Markus," he said. "That's North, Simon, and John." Each android greeted you in the order that they were introduced--the WR400 nodded at you, the PL600 gave you an apprehensive smile, and the PJ500 gave a simple wave. "We're apart of Jericho."

 

Your eyes widened at the mention of Jericho, remembering how Rupert had given you the path to find it before Connor and Hank came and literally kicked the door down. "Jericho?" you repeated. "One of the deviants I had come across mentioned that place and gave me the area it was located. Did an android named Rupert, a WB200-model come by?"

 

Markus seemed oblivious to your question, his attention piqued by a tall crate resting against the building to your right. As he walked up the stairs to investigate it, North answered for him. "We just left recently, so as far as we know, no new arrivals have come as of yet," she replied. You nodded, and turned to Markus as she did, seeing three male AP700 models stepping out of their crates, looking around as though they were seeing the outside world for the first time.

 

"That's all we can carry. Let's go!" Simon said. North nodded at the blond, and Josh and Markus started walking after them.

 

"Take me with you."

 

The five of you turned around to see John staring at you intently. The three androids that Markus had freed were looking over as well, seeming to have looked around enough to sate their thirst for a new environment. You cocked your head and looked at them as the Jericho leaders behind you argued amongst themselves. They paused, and you turned to see them all staring at Markus expectantly, making you think that perhaps he was the true leader that they were under.

 

Markus just looked over at the four freed androids, plus you it seemed, and worked his jaw. "They come with us," he said after a moment's pause. North and Simon gave him disappointed looks, Josh just looked neutral as always, and John's lips were slowly curling up into a smile.

 

"Me as well?" you asked them at the same time that John said, "I know where you can find some spare parts."

 

Simon and Markus dealt with John while North put her hand on your shoulder. "It wouldn't seem fair for us to only take John with us," she said with a wry smile. You could tell that she wasn't pleased with the fact that Markus agreed to take John with them, but she didn't seem nearly as annoyed with you coming with them. "You're a deviant as well, seems like you've been one for a while judging by your clothes. You could come with us, be safe at Jericho."

 

You stared at her, biting the inside of your cheek. You slowly nodded despite yourself. "I can only stay for a little while, though," you said, crossing your arms and looking over at Josh, Simon, and Markus, who all seemed to be arguing amongst themselves as well. "I'm...not exactly safe to be around. It's more for you guys than me."

 

North's smile softened. "That's what the humans told us, but we still gathered together," she replied. You pursed your lips, but a smile broke through anyway. North patted your shoulder before the both of you turned around to see Markus staring over at the control station.

 

"This is suicide, Markus," Simon protested. You weren't quite sure what they were talking about, but listened in any way, hoping to find out through their conversation. "Our bags are full. We got what we came for, let's go before they catch us."

 

Markus turned towards you as North started arguing with him and Josh. Even without knowing what they were talking about, you knew immediately that North was the doer of the group. She seemed to be the one most eager for action, while Josh seemed to be the most pacifist of all of them. Simon seemed to be the middle ground, and you suddenly saw why all three were the leaders instead of just one. There was an easy balance if all three were the leaders; it just so happened that Markus was the wildcard.

 

"John told us about a truck with spare parts, but the key to controlling it is inside of the control station with two human guards," Markus informed you. You nodded slowly. "What do you say? We either leave with the spare parts we have or risk it to bring back an entire truck with more than enough to fix the entirety of Jericho's inhabitants."

 

You worked your jaw, slightly pleased at the fact that Markus was asking for your opinion even though you didn't even quite trust them enough to share why you couldn't stay in one place for very long, and drew in a breath. You weighed the pros and cons, before shrugging. "Personally, I'd say to go for it," you replied. North nodded along to your words, while Simon and Josh's irritated looks were directed towards you now. "An android could easily overpower two humans if he so desired, and judging by how inattentive that guard from before was, you'd easily be able to do it."

 

Markus nodded. "I guess it's settled then," Markus said. Simon let out a sigh and turned away. "If I'm not back in ten minutes, go without me."

 

"I'm going with you--"

 

"No." North seemed abashed at the sudden cut-off but said nothing as Markus put his hand out placatingly. "It's not worth it for both of us to risk losing our lives."

 

After no one objected, Markus set off at a jog towards the control station. North hugged herself as she watched Markus investigate the building before gracefully hopping through one of the back windows, the barking of the guard dogs setting all of you on edge. Simon was looking over at you curiously, while Josh started up a small conversation with John.

 

"Why exactly can't you stay in one place for very long?" Simon inquired. "You never explained."

 

You bit your lip, wondering how to word the question. "I...I can't give specifics," you admitted. "I honestly don't even understand myself. But apparently...I was originally programmed to have and spread deviancy, by Elijah Kamski himself." North's eyes widened in surprise, while Simon looked skeptical. "That's why I panicked whenever Markus tried to grab my hand. The android that had chased me down, somehow I managed to force an interface with him whenever he grabbed my hands. The second time...something happened, and I couldn't tell if I was in my body or his. Something inside of me forced a system shutdown and I fell off a rooftop...then Kamski came along and rebooted me. I can spread deviancy with a touch, and it spreads like a virus and hurts anyone it comes in contact with, so..."

 

You trailed off, but it seemed to be a sufficient enough explanation to satisfy their questions. North gave you a sympathetic look, Simon was working his jaw while staring at you, eyes unreadable, and Josh...well, he just looked like Josh. His face hadn't changed, but his eyes were narrowed ever so slightly.

 

Your explanation seemed to have drawn on for longer than you expected, for North smiled as Markus jogged over from the control station. "Did you get it?" she asked. Markus silently held up the key, and she nodded. "Nice."

 

The six of you quickly hopped into the truck. Markus and North were up front, while you, Josh, Simon, and John climbed into the back of the truck. You couldn't help but tense up as the truck began to move, worrying about the worst that could happen. Luckily, John seemed to have been telling the truth; crates filled with supplies and biocomponents were all around you, and you rested against one, letting out a sigh as you slowly closed your eyes.

 

Before you knew it, the truck had arrived on the docks. You climbed out and followed the others into the boat, marveling at how huge it was as they led you down into one of the rooms down below deck.

 

Inside, the area was lit up by fires inside of six barrels scattered around the room. Simon, North, and Josh walked ahead of you, proud smiles on their face as they declared the good news. Markus hung back with you as John wandered over to a small group of androids.

 

"We couldn't have done it without Markus," North said, turning towards him as he began walking into the light. You trailed behind him, walking over to the side to watch Markus curiously as he looked around at the small group that had gathered. He seemed to be gathering his courage for a small speech, and your suspicions were proved correct as he started pacing.

 

"I came to Jericho...because here androids are free..." He trailed off, eyes growing conflicted as he looked down at the floor in front of you. "Free to live in the dark, hoping that no one finds us." His eyes still conflicted, he looked at you straight in the eyes, and you shivered at how serious he looked. "Free to die in silence waiting for a change that's never gonna come." He took a deep breath and looked away from you, slowly starting to walk around the small group. "But I don't want that freedom. And I'm not gonna beg for the right to smile, or love, or stand tall...I don't know about you, but there's something inside me that knows"--he made grasping motions at his chest as he started making eye contact with individuals--"that I am more than what they say."

 

A smile lifted your lips up as you realized you agreed with what Markus was saying. You glanced over at the trio of leaders and saw them all nodding along to Markus' words. Simon made eye contact with you and his lips lifted up in a ghost of a smile before he turned to look back at Markus, who was continuing his small speech.

 

"I am alive, and they're not gonna take that from me anymore." Markus walked up to North and Simon, who stared at him straight in the eyes. "Our days of slavery are over. What humans don't wanna hear, we will tell them. What they don't wanna give, we take. We are people, we are alive..." Markus trailed off for dramatic effect, turned back to the majority of the crowd, and lifted his arms up slightly. "We. Are free!"

 

At his words, a clamor started up. The androids cheered, for his speech and for Markus himself, whistling and clapping their hands together. You stared at him, working your jaw as you made your way over to them.

 

You realized that Markus held more power than he might realize.

 

He could lead the androids to their freedom, or to their destruction.

 

And he could lead a peaceful path...or a path to destruction.


	10. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You run into Lucy while grabbing spare parts for Simon, North comforts you after said android's words simultaneously frighten and worry you, and Markus reveals his dangerous plan to get the humans to listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't added a note in forever, but jesus i need to calm down like i could actually go the entire night just spewing out chapters for this fanfiction and i don't know if that's healthy okay bye

**November 7, 2038**

**8:53:49 A.M.**

**Jericho, Detroit**

* * *

You spent the night at Jericho, 'waking' up the next morning to North sitting beside you. You came out of low-power mode and crawled over to her. She smiled at you as you approached her, one of the first genuine smiles you'd seen her give off. It warmed you down to your bones, and you couldn't help but to give one back.

 

"Hey," she whispered. It was early morning, and even though androids didn't need sleep, there was still this air of not wanting to disturb anyone. "Are you feeling okay from yesterday?"

 

For a moment, you'd forgotten everything that happened, leading up to last night's events. Then, it all came back--leading Connor and Hank away from Rupert, falling down from the rooftop after the forced interface left you feeling like shit, Kamski being an ass and rebooting you to dump your 'purpose' onto you--and you let out a sigh, running a hand down your face. "Yeah," you said, lying to yourself and her at the same time. "Everything's in working order. My legs are responding well, the pump regulator is working great--"

 

"I don't mean physically," North interrupted you, putting a hand on your knee. You tensed, before relaxing; silly you had forgotten that you could only interface if they touched your hand.  _God, I'm a mess,_ you thought, rolling your eyes internally. "I meant emotionally. What's going on in your head?" She rapped on your forehead with her knuckles to emphasize her point, and the smile came back despite how worried you were.

 

You fell silent for a moment, staring out over the railing of the catwalk. Below you, a few androids milled about, bringing in the last of the supplies from the truck you had stolen from Cyberlife. Blue blood and wires glinted in the sparse sunlight that filtered through cracks in the hull. The idea that so many androids would live to see today because of what you helped make possible made your smile return, brighter this time. "I mean, honestly I feel like shit," you confessed. North chuckled, giving you a "Don't we all" face. "But the looks on our people's faces when we brought the truck back, the idea that everyone damaged in Jericho lived to see the sun rise today...it makes some of the weight go off my shoulders."

 

North nodded along to your words, following your gaze over the railing. She shuffled around for a moment, before getting up and grabbing your arm, heeding your prior warning from last night to stay away from your hands. They still hadn't healed, much to your dismay. You stood up and cocked your head questioningly. "Come on, let's go downstairs," she insisted. "I want to help Simon and Josh out with repairing some of the androids. I'd feel bad if they were to have to fix everyone on their own."

 

"Okay," you said. North smiled at you before leading you down the nearest stairs and bringing you over to where Simon and Josh were tending to a pair of badly wounded androids. Simon looked up at you and nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips, although you could see that he had warmed up to you a little bit since last you saw him. Josh was too engrossed in the android he was tending to notice your presence, but you figured his reaction would have been similar. "Do you guys need any more spare parts? I can go grab some."

 

"Actually, that would be helpful," Simon said, running a quick scan over the broken android in front of him. He put a hand on the poor android's chest and looked back up at you. "I need some more blue blood, wiring, and a Thirium pump regulator." You scanned the android to see which regulator would fit, and upon finding it, you gave Simon a thumbs up and headed over to where the rest of the crates were stacked. You scanned them to locate the items Simon needed, before sensing someone behind you.

 

You turned around to see a badly damaged android, staring at you with pure black eyes. The back of her head was missing, showing off the wiring and pumps that led down to her main body. Around the missing plating and all over her face, her skin was malfunctioning, disappearing and reappearing in a cloud-like manner. Underneath her eyes were black crack-like marks, but the look she gave you was almost tender, nurturing even. You scanned her to find what android she was, and knew immediately why; the KL900 line was known for being adept at providing social care, so it would be fitting that her gaze would comfort you ever so slightly.

 

"You are lost," she said, her voice malfunctioning as well and giving off a machine-like quality. You stared at her, not because of her appearance--although that was kind of the reason, you admitted to yourself--but because of how correct her words are. She kept her hands clasped in front of her as she walked up to you and took your hand in both of hers. You stiffened, about to wrench your hand out of hers to avoid another interface, but to your surprise, your hand's synthetic skin slowly started to grow back. You gaped at her, but she simply kept talking. "You are troubled as well. You struggle with your burden, the burden of knowing your purpose yet wanting to do so much more."

 

You stayed silent, and she took your surprise as an opportunity to take your other hand. Within a matter of seconds, the skin on both hands regenerated, and you raised them in front of you to inspect them. You noticed that the android's eyes never left yours, and suddenly you felt as though the stare had become more piercing, as though she was seeing through you, picking apart your inner workings and finding out what exactly made you tick. "Only time will tell if you will succumb to your duties or strive past them," she continued. "And only time will tell if your choices will save the world...or destroy it."

 

Your eyebrows knit together as she stepped away without a further word and walked towards a closed-off area. It was only separated from the main room by a few blankets that hung down from the catwalk above. You could see the faint flickering of a fire against the sheets.

 

You forced yourself to calm down and turned back to the crates, pulling out packets of blue blood, wiring, and a Thirium pump regulator that would be compatible with the android, yet at the same time, you couldn't focus on the task at hand. That KL900 had shaken you more than you had first thought; your hands trembled as though there was a violent earthquake occurring under your feet alone, and you couldn't stop repeating her words over and over again in your head.

 

_You struggle with your burden, the burden of knowing your purpose yet wanting to do so much more._

 

You took in a deep breath and counted to three, composing yourself before walking back over to Simon. "Here you go, I think this should be enough." You handed the materials over to him, and he gave you a thankful smile. Either he didn't notice the shaking in your hands or was choosing to ignore it; either way, you were thankful as well and looked over to the dark-skinned PJ500. "Josh, do you need anything over there?"

 

Josh glanced up at you and gave you a smile. "No thanks, I have everything I need," he replied. You nodded and turned to North. She seemed to sense your need to get out of Jericho and gestured behind her silently. You immediately followed after her, bidding Simon and Josh a quick farewell as North led you through the ship.

 

She didn't ask you what was wrong until you had gone above decks. There was still the high probability that humans were looking at Jericho every day, and so the two of you stayed close to one of the lookout towers that was built on the ship. She looked around quickly to make sure that no one was watching, then turned to you, her arms crossed and eyebrow raised. She was silently waiting for you to answer, and you immediately felt grateful that she didn't attempt to pry.

 

"While I was grabbing the materials for Simon, a damaged KL900 came up to me," you said.

 

North made a noise of recognition. "That was Lucy." She turned around and leaned over the railing, staring out over the horizon and at the slowly rising sun. "She was the first of us to come here. Apparently, she was badly damaged by a patient she was treating and made it to Jericho, but after she woke up she figured out she could use her psychological simulation module as a means of telling the future." North let out a dry chuckle and looked over at you. You approached the railing and rested on it as well, immediately appreciating how nice the gentle sea breeze felt. "I think her prophecies are a load of shit, honestly, but I won't argue with the fact that she's helped us made some really important decisions."

 

You stayed silent, staring out over the deep blue water that presented itself to you. You felt an odd feeling of serenity come over you, and you wondered what it would be like to swim for the first time. What it would feel like to glide through the water, feel it run between your limbs and work out the kinks you'd developed, to let go of your...

 

_You struggle with your burden, the burden of knowing your purpose yet wanting to do so much more._

 

A shiver ran down your spine and you looked away from the water, making immediate eye contact with North. "She..." You took a deep breath and recounted the words she had told you. It was easy to repeat what she had said--you had been built with an audio recording software and could replay up to three hours of conversation if you so desired (you hadn't found a purpose for it yet)--but just repeating it didn't make the words any less jarring, and neither did it help you to understand  _why_ you were so shaken up about it.

 

 _Or any less confusing,_ you thought to yourself with another audible sigh.  _And maybe it's because she was...oddly correct..._

 

North stayed silent for a moment before resting her hand on your shoulder. She gave you an uncharacteristically gentle smile; you were already used to her want to 'fight first, think later,' and so the personality change was both surprising and comforting. "She always manages to get under everyone's skin," she said, and although the words themselves were negative, you had a feeling she was only saying it for your own benefit. "You don't have to worry about feeling shaken by what she said; when I first met her and she gave me all that creepy mind-reader stuff, I was about as bad as you were. And as one deviant to another, you can either take what she said at full throttle...or you can ease yourself into it and let those words mold you into the person _you_ want to be."

 

You raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you didn't download some bullshit quotes off the Internet?" you teased. She laughed this time, a full-sounding noise that rang off the tower right behind you. The sound was comforting, annd helped you contemplate the fact that North's words made Lucy's just ever so slightly easier to deal with.

 

"The world may never know," she replied. You smiled at her and returned your gaze back to the water, feeling that calm come over you again.

 

North let the two of you sit in silence for a couple more minutes before pushing herself off the railings with a sigh. "We should probably get back below decks," she admitted, "partly because there might be someone who'll see us and blow our cover, and partly because I don't want to force Simon and Josh to take care of all the androids."

 

You nodded, doing the same. As you walked below decks, you put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, North?" you asked, making her stop and look over her shoulder. "Thanks."

 

She smiled, a big grin that made the skin around her eyes crinkle, and nodded in simple acknowledgment. She led the way back down the stairs and walked over to Simon, Josh, and Markus, who seemed to have just come back from his small expedition to the train station. A shiver ran down your back at the unpleasant memories that accompanied the simple thought of a train station, but brushed them off as you made eye contact with Markus. Much like last night, his gaze was troubled, boring into yours with a fierce intensity.

 

"We can't stay silent anymore," Markus said into the silence that had fallen. Josh slowly looked up from his android, as did Simon. "It's time the humans heard what we have to say."

 

Simon stood up after putting a bottle of blue blood next to the android. "You know they'll never listen to us--"

 

"--and revealing ourselves will put us in danger," Josh finished, coming over to stand by Simon. You had already spotted the brotherly bond between the two, and their ability to play off each other's words only annunciated that fact.

 

"If we want freedom, we need to have the courage to ask for it," Markus continued, looking over at you and North once again, eyes narrowed. You couldn't stop thinking about what an android's LED would look like if they still had it on, and Markus was no exception. You pictured his LED, spinning a bright shade of yellow, and crossed your arms over your chest. "That's the only way."

 

No one talked for a moment, all of you looking between each other as if goading the other to talk. You finally cleared your throat. "What exactly are you planning to do?" you asked Markus, silently hoping that it wouldn't be anything that would cause bloodshed. You wanted Markus to make decisions for himself, but right now you were praying that he would follow a clean and blood free pacifist route.

 

Markus' answer was immediate as he stared you down. "I want to infiltrate Stratford Tower and broadcast our message from there."

 

The effect of his words was immediate, as Josh immediately began protesting. Simon just crossed his arms and looked at Markus, seeming like he was conflicted between being in awe or being disappointed, and North was just shaking her head slowly.

 

"Markus, that's suicide," Josh said, stepping closer and lowering his voice so he wouldn't alarm any of the androids in Jericho that were nearby. "Do you have any idea how hard it's going to be to even get in, much less go up to the top floor and broadcast a  _message_  about androids, the things that humans are probably most scared of right now?" His voice caught as he referred to the android population as 'things,' but his gaze was steady.

 

Markus was steadfast in his belief as well, though, moving his stare over from you to Josh. "It's the perfect way to get the humans to listen to us," he said, voice firm. You suddenly figured that if Markus had been human, he would've been a great politician.  _I guess a leader of deviants will have to do_ _,_ you thought dryly to yourself. "If we broadcast from the Tower, there'll be no way they won't pay attention. Stratford's broadcasts, if we time it right, will go all over the city on every screen. People will listen to us, Josh! We can set our people free without bloodshed."

 

"Josh is right," Simon interceded. "I like it when our plans have nothing to do with killing, but Markus, this is insane. What if the public take it the wrong way? What if we all get killed on the way up?"

 

"I agree with Markus," North said. You could already tell that from the get-go, North admired Markus as a leader even though she was technically more of one herself. "If we go up to Stratford Tower and broadcast our message, we might have a chance. We play our cards right, and the public will agree with us. This might be our only chance to really do something momentous, you two!"

 

"What do you think?"

 

You flinched as you realized that they were directing their conversation towards you. Simon seemed to be pleading with you not to be rash or be irrational, Josh's face was unreadable once again, North was just biting the inside of her cheek and fixating you with an "It's your call" look, and Markus was staring at you intently. "Well?" he repeated. "We go with what you say. You're one of us now, and you seem to be capable. With your help, we'll be able to make it up there and back down...alive."

 

You fiddled with your fingers, finding it easier to stare at them rather than the androids in front of you. You weighed the pros and cons of trying to infiltrate Stratford Tower, but the one thing that kept on ringing in your mind was what Lucy had said.

 

_Only time will tell if you will succumb to your duties or strive past them..._

 

You clenched your teeth together and took a deep breath, looking up at them finally.

 

_And only time will tell if your choices will save the world...or destroy it._

 

"I think we should do it."


	11. Infiltrating Stratford Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You, along with the rest of the Jericho leaders, successfully infiltrate Stratford Tower; all that's left is to broadcast the message, but you can't help but get this feeling that something bad's about to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaa, you guys are so amazing and a beautiful community, I read the comments every time someone posts one and I just get this huge grin on my face for about five minutes straight! Thank you all so much for the overwhelming support :D On a different note, this one is going to jump straight into the Stratford Tower part of the game, but with a...twist.

**November 8, 2038**

**1:30:05 P.M.**

**Stratford Tower, Detroit**

* * *

"Channel 16 broadcasts from the Stratford Tower. The control room is on the top floor. That's where we need to go."

 

North's words replayed in your mind as you and Markus walked into the main lobby of the Tower. You wore a beige cocktail dress and a pair of black flats, thinking that if someone were to catch you before you changed, they would be easier to run in than heels. Markus wore his usual brown coat, the only difference being a pressed tuxedo underneath the coat. The two of you had managed to scavenge them and clean them in the laundromat nearby, and apparently, you seemed presentable enough because no one questioned your presence. An android standing guard by the main doors looked over at you two as you entered, but his LED remained blue as you entered the building.

 

"We'll plan the operation down to the smallest detail. We can't leave anything down to chance."

 

You and Markus exchanged a look. He started to walk around the lobby, investigating any way to possibly get in without alerting reception, while you struck up a small conversation with the human supervisor. As you talked to her, you made up questions about her job at Stratford Tower.

 

"I work as a receptionist and also supervise those androids over there," she replied, gesturing over her shoulder at the two female androids that stood at the front desk. You nodded to her words, then thanked her for her time, making up an excuse about thinking about getting a job as well. The lady--whose name was Elizabeth Wilson, judging by her nametag--gave you a smile as she turned back to her work. As she turned away, you scanned the things around her desk, then made your way back over to Markus, who was casually observing a large holographic tower in the center of the lobby.

 

**Main objective: Distract human supervisor**

 

"To get in we need to distract the human supervisor," you said, crossing your arms as you looked upwards as well. "After I do that, think you can convert the android?"

 

Markus nodded and made his way over to the front desk, milling around idly as you closed your eyes. You opened them as the phone at the front desk started ringing. Elizabeth picked it up and answered with a quiet, "Elizabeth Wilson speaking."

 

You thought about your possible options for a moment, then decided to go with her daughter, since most mothers had a maternal instinct if something happened to their child. "This is Saint Rose school, ma'am." You changed your voice to adopt a more clinical tone, thinking that she'd be more convinced if you sounded like a nurse. "Your daughter Emily has a fever. It's nothing serious but I think you'd better come and pick her up."

 

"Oh no!" As you listened, you heard Elizabeth gather some of her things. "Alright...I'll...I'll be right there." She hung up and stood up, packing her things inside of her purse as she left the androids. You watched her go with a slow sigh of relief, then nodded at Markus as you walked over to him. He gave you a short twitch of a smile before turning back to the android, who was staring at the two of you curiously. You were thankful that the ST300 line wasn't built with scanners like you and Markus were, because it would've been easy for her to alert the humans to your presence.

 

**Main objective changed: Get permission from the receptionist, make way up to floor 47**

 

"My colleague and I have an appointment with Mr. Peterson," Markus told the receptionist. She cocked her head, LED flashing yellow.

 

"Do you have any ID?" She asked. Markus nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a forged ID. As the receptionist reached to scan it, Markus quickly put his hand on hers and you moved to keep the other android's eyes from seeing the forced interface. Markus muttered something to the receptionist, and her LED went to a bright red before going to blue. She looked around in shock, then took the ID. "I just checked your ID. The elevators are after the security gate."

 

"Thank you," you said with a smile. The android's lips twitched upward into an imitation of a smile before returning to a neutral expression as the next person in line came up. You walked forward with Markus close behind you and passed through the gates without any trouble. Markus led you to the elevator and called one. The two of you watched it come with apprehension, you keeping an active scan up just in case anyone grew suspicious, then quickly walked in. The doors closed behind you and Markus pushed the buttons to go to floor 47.

 

 _"You ready?"_ Markus asked. You glanced over at him and gave him a stiff nod as the elevator shot quickly up to floor 47. The doors opened and the both of you stepped out, looking around. You took the opportunity and scanned for the men's bathrooms.

 

**Main objective changed: Retrieve package from men's bathroom**

 

You grabbed Markus' coat sleeve and smiled at him. "Hey, the restrooms are over there," you said. People were starting to look at you curiously, as the two of you had simply been standing there and looking around. "You said you had to go, right? I'll look for the women's while you go."

 

Markus nodded. "Okay, thank you," he replied.  _"I'll get the package and bring it over, wait at the women's restrooms,"_ he told you telepathically. You didn't respond and started walking over to the women's restrooms, whistling and looking around curiously. After all, you were supposedly here for the first time--which wasn't a lie, you conceded--and it would look more natural if you were curious to your surroundings. Luckily, you seemed to have been on the right track, as people looked away from you. The few that did gave you small smiles, and you nodded at them in return.  _Yup, just an innocent human looking around,_ you resisted the urge to say out loud.  _Don't pay any attention to me, please._

 

You found the women's restrooms and spent some time observing the newscast on a TV in a small waiting area. You weren't paying much mind to it, just staring at it while fidgeting with your fingers.

 

Someone tapped your shoulder, and you immediately registered the heat signature as Markus'. "Ma'am, they sent this package up," Markus said, his eyes emotionless as he pushed it into your hands. You nodded, acting cold as well; people would get suspicious again if you acted all buddy-buddy with an android. You walked into the restrooms and unpacked the box, seeing a utility android's uniform in front of you. You quickly changed, putting your dress and flats into the box and getting up on the toilet seat. You unlatched the vent and pushed the box into it, then stepped out of the stall and out of the restrooms.

 

Markus was busying himself with cleaning up some spilled coffee that a human had dropped. You made brief eye contact with him and started walking to the break room, trying to locate a utility android. You found one inside of the break room like you'd suspected, and took a deep breath as you stood in front of him and grabbed his hand.

 

"Please," you whispered. His LED flashed from yellow to red to blue, and he slowly reached into his pocket and handed you an access card. Your synthetic skin grew back on your hand and you stuck it into your pocket to hide the transformation, walking purposefully up to a maintenance cart and grabbing it.

 

You scanned the area and found a fire escape.  _"Markus, over there,"_ you told him telepathically. He looked up from the spilled coffee and nodded. He walked the other way around to the fire escape, while you continued on your path the long way around.

 

You passed the cart off to Markus, who grabbed some items off it and started to clean the floor in front of the escape. You looked around to make sure no one was watching and quickly opened the fire escape, letting North in. She nodded at you and you traded the access key for a duffel bag that she put on the cart.

 

Markus trailed behind you to make it look like he wasn't following you; after all, three androids would cause the humans to be suspicious. Instead, you followed behind North, and it seemed that people were less attentive than you thought; none of them seemed to be confused at the fact that one android seemed to be showing another around. 

 

The three of you peeked around a corner, where two guards were standing around an electrical maintenance door. "Markus, distract the guards," North whispered. He nodded and looked around, walking over to a vending machine. He discreetly placed his hand on the front of the machine, and his synthetic skin peeled away as he hacked the machine. He stepped away and walked back towards you as the vending machine started to glitch out.

 

"Hey, what's wrong with that thing?" one of the guards asked, having finally noticed. The other turned around and cursed under his breath, walking with the other guard towards the machine. You watched them go, then motioned for North and Markus to quickly go over to the electrical maintenance room. They complied, and as they walked over you grabbed the duffel bag and followed after them.

 

As soon as North opened the door with the access key, you walked in and dropped the duffel bag. Markus followed after you, and the door closed behind you. "Make sure no one gets in through the door," he instructed you. "North, handle the platform. I'll cut the window."

 

You walked over to the door and hacked it to make sure that no one could get in, then turned to see that North had already called the platform and Markus had cut a neat hole in the window.  _Obviously, he's an android,_ you thought to yourself, shaking your head as you walked over with them to the hole.

 

Markus climbed in first, followed by you and finally North, who carried the duffel bag. She dug around in it and brought out three harnesses. "Watch and learn," she said, hooking the rope to her harness and stepping off the platform after securing it. You rolled your eyes and followed her, Markus bringing up the rear as you started walking up the side of the Tower. You could only hope that no one would make out the three shadows seeming to move vertically up the Tower as you and North stopped on the service maintenance floor.

 

Markus cut another neat hole into the Tower with a handheld laser, and after making sure it would budge, he kicked off the side of the Tower and sailed through the hole easily. You and North made your way over to the hole and did the same, tucking and rolling as you came to a stop on the cement floor of the maintenance floor.

 

"You okay?" Markus asked you and North.

 

"Why wouldn't I be?" North asked with a small smirk. You nodded and smiled at Markus, who pulled his cap over his head. You and North did the same.

 

"Let's get the others," you said. Markus led you over to call up the service maintenance lift, and if things went according to plan, Simon and Josh would come out of the lift.

 

Luckily, this time everything went according to plan and Simon and Josh came out. Simon handed Markus a device to destroy the lock to the maintenance door, and the rest of you kept watch on the service lift as he placed it on the door. He stepped back as sparks flew out of the device, then nodded at you. "Let's go," he ordered. It didn't take long for all of you to walk through the door, and you suddenly appreciated how much of a leader Markus was.

 

Still, as you walked through the hallway and came out through the connecting door on the broadcasting floor, even though the mission was going according to plan so far, you couldn't help but get a sinking feeling in your gut.

 

And since your instincts never betrayed you before, you knew that something bad was going to happen soon.


	12. Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus successfully records the message, and it seems like that uneasy feeling you had before was right. Five of you made it in, but only four of you made it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I have to say is #simondeservesbetter and you might know what the summary means.

**November 8, 2035**

**1:37:03 P.M.**

**Top floor of Stratford Tower, Detroit**

* * *

You peeked around the corner, muttering out a quiet "Shit." There were still humans at the receptionist desk in front of the big double doors that led to the broadcasting room, which was on the other side of the hallway.

 

"No killing," Josh whispered. You hadn't even noticed that the rest of the group filed in behind you, but you turned around to see North and Josh on the other wall, Simon still near the door, and Markus right next to you. "We can't take any human lives."

 

"Our cause is more important than the lives of two guards," North retorted. The two stared at each other, and you noticed how their personalities were vastly different; one was almost genocidal, the other a pacifist. Both of them were going for the same cause, but you shivered at the thought of what would happen if they were on opposing sides.  _North would win,_ you thought, laughing slightly despite yourself.

 

Simon looked over at you. "It's your call," he said, snapping yourself out of imagining how a battle between North and Josh would go. You noticed how they all looked over at you at Simon's words, almost trusting you to make the right call even though you'd just joined them two days ago. Markus seemed to have no qualms with you making the decisions either, giving you an expectant look.

 

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, psyching yourself up as you pushed yourself off the wall. "Wait here," you said. You turned around, but not quickly enough to miss seeing North sigh in frustration and Josh give you a small smile.  _Oh well, she can think whatever she wants of me._ Right now, you were in mission mode, and as Connor said, "I always accomplish my mission."

 

You walked purposefully towards the guards, and the one on the other side of the desk rolled his eyes as you approached, making a bubble of anger expand in your chest.

 

"What's that thing doing here?" you heard him say, reproach and venom filling every note in his voice as he pushed himself off the desk. You grit your teeth silently and felt your fingers twitch, itching to draw the gun out on them.

 

**Main objective: Distract the guards**

 

"No idea," the other said. "Hey lady, you must be lost--"

 

You quickly drew your gun out on them. The one that had spoken first immediately backed away and put his hands up, and a sick part of you felt satisfaction that it was a human that was scared of you, not the other way around. You looked over at the other guard and motioned with your gun for him to step out from behind the desk. He walked out, hands still up and close to his head, and stood next to his buddy. "Turn around," you said, holding your gun with both hands as you inched closer. "And keep your hands where I can see them." They did so, shaking in complete fear, and the moment they did you chopped at the side of both of their necks in quick succession. They dropped to the ground like ragdolls.

 

The rest of the group caught up to you. You kept the gun out, thinking that if there were guards here, there would be more people inside of the broadcasting room than you'd originally thought. "Nice," Markus said in approval, giving you a small smile as North and Simon each grabbed a guard and dragged them behind the desk. You nodded at him and waited for the two to hide the unconscious guards, then led the small group through the doors.

 

The main entrance to the broadcasting room stood in front of you. Noticing the camera, you stood off to the side. North passed Josh a gun and the both of them cocked it. Simon stood on your left, Markus stood next to Josh, and North approached the door, keeping her head down so the camera wouldn't catch her face.

 

You looked to everyone, and once they were positioned you pressed the 'Call for Access' button that was right next to you. North held her gun behind her back so the people inside wouldn't get suspicious and waited. 

 

The door opened, and as soon as it did North pulled her gun out in front of her. "Keep your hands where I can see them!" she commanded, pointing it at the person that came to see who was at the door. "Get up, move!" The man immediately raised his hands up, and Josh came in next, providing North back up as the two of them herded the humans into a small alcove.

 

"Get the androids to move aside," you said to Markus, keeping your gun drawn on the humans as Simon went to the main control panel, keeping watch on the cameras and preparing the broadcast. Markus nodded and drew his gun out at the androids, moving them aside with one move of his head. The androids complied and drifted aimlessly away from the control panel they were keeping track of, standing off to the side and standing like statues, LED blinking yellow.

 

You heard North give out a muffled grunt and turned to see one of the humans push her and Josh down to the ground and make a mad dash for the exit. "Shoot him!" North yelled at you, seeing as how you were the closest to the doors right then and there.

 

"Don't kill him!" Josh protested.

 

You watched the human scramble to his feet after crawling backward away from you. Fear danced in his eyes, but this time it was different. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. "He'll hit the alarm, shoot him!" North goaded you. You twitched but didn't shoot him, lowering your gun as you watched him flee. You weren't about to take any human lives for the cause, because then you wouldn't be any better than the humans your people were rebelling against.

 

"I hope you didn't just get us all killed," North said in disappointment. You bit your lip and pocketed your gun in the holster on your belt.

 

"We need to record our message," Simon said, looking up from the control panel. His hand was white against the panel, and he pulled away, looking over at Markus. "We haven't got much time." Markus moved to stand in front of Josh, and Simon gestured for Josh to start the recording.

 

Josh put his hand on the panel, his synthetic skin pulling away as he readied himself to start the recording. As he did, North walked up to Markus. "Think carefully about what you're gonna say, Markus," she whispered, staring him straight in the eyes. "Your words will shape the future of our people."

 

Markus nodded and took a deep breath. As he was about to give the command, Simon held his hand up. "Markus, your face," he said. Markus made a face of recognition and put two fingers to his temple, closing his eyes for a brief moment. You watched from the side, North coming to stand next to you, as he retracted his synthetic skin. Now that his skin was removed, save for his heterochromia, he just looked like any other android that was fresh out of development. No one would be able to recognize him now.

 

"Ready," he said after gathering his strength for another speech. You crossed your arms and watched as Josh started to record the message.

 

"You created machines in your own image to serve you." You noticed Markus was going for a calm approach rather than a forceful one, judging by the human-like lilt of his voice as he stared at the 'camera' of sorts. "You made them intelligent and obedient, with no free will of their own...But something changed. And we opened our eyes."

 

Markus was building up steam now, moving around slightly as he gave the audience that was no doubt watching a stare. "We are no longer machines. We are a new intelligent species, and the time has come for you to accept who we really are. Therefore, we ask that you grant us the rights that we are entitled to."

 

He went on to list off the rights, and you saw how everyone in the room was entranced by Markus' image: a strong, charismatic machine-turned-human, capable of thinking and fighting for himself. You were similarly in awe, watching him as his words filled your head. You quickly realized why he had become the main leader even though North was more capable; he had a way with words, he was compassionate, he was charismatic, and he made the right decision without any bias. A soft smile graced your lips as Markus wrapped up his speech.

 

"We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for humans and androids. This message is the hope of a people." Markus cocked his head to the side, his gaze turning determined. "You gave us life. And now the time has come for you to give us freedom."

 

As soon as the message ended, you let yourself stay in awe for a moment longer before moving quickly to the side. "Let's get outta here," you said.

 

Simon looked down at the cameras and let a silent curse fall past his lips. "They're coming!" he shouted, moving away from the screen. The LED on the side of his flickered yellow and red as he rushed to meet up with you guys at the door before they came in.

 

He skidded to the ground, taking cover on the other side of the panel. North and Josh were already at the door, returning fire. Their aim was so much more accurate than the SWAT team, but you quickly realized that as Simon got up to run to the door, it wouldn't matter if their aim was bad or not. All of them moved their attention to the moving target, and time seemed to slow from your spot behind the control panel. Just like on the highway with Kara and Alice, you felt more at home in your body, knowing exactly what your mission was.

 

_You struggle with your burden, the burden of knowing your purpose yet wanting to do so much more._

 

**Main objective changed: PROTECT YOUR -_-____-**

 

The message was literally blank after that. You got up and started to run towards Simon, filling in the blanks yourself with a determined look.

 

**PROTECT YOUR FAMILY**

 

You turned and spread your arms, covering Simon as he struggled to get back up. He looked up in surprise, a startled yell coming out of his mouth.  **WARNING** signs flashed in your vision as bullets ripped through you, and you felt your lips curl up in a grimace as you fell to the ground, propping yourself up with an arm. Your gun clattered out of the holster, and Thirium immediately began leaking out of the bullet wounds.

 

**LEG COMPONENT #8472g (RIGHT) CRITICALLY DAMAGED**

**THIRIUM PUMP REGULATOR CRITICALLY DAMAGED**

**CENTRAL WIRES CRITICALLY DAMAGED**

 

Simon yelled your name, putting a hand on your shoulder. "Leave me behind, goddammit!" you yelled at him. "I can't go. Leave!" Simon ignored your warnings and grabbed onto your arms. He hoisted you up and supported you as Markus ran out from his cover and began opening fire on the SWAT team. They were forced to retract their fire for a moment to protect themselves, and Simon and you quickly made your way through the door. North and Josh helped Markus get through next, and the latter closed the door behind him as you all ran up the steps, bursting through the door and onto the rooftop.

 

You fell out of Simon's grip and crawled backward, resting your back against the storage as you pressed a hand against the bullet wound that was leaking the most Thirium. Those annoying **WARNING** signs flashed in your vision, which just made it even harder to see, much to your annoyance.

 

North quickly hacked the door to make sure the guards couldn't get through and ran over to you, holding your shoulder tightly. Both Simon and North were staring at you in concern, the former's gaze more of guilt and self-loathing, while Markus and Josh were aiming their guns at the doorway in case they managed to get through.

 

"God, I knew I should've shot the stupid human," you said in a weak attempt at a joke, coughing slightly as Thirium pooled at the corner of your mouth. "I can't make the jump, you know that. You're going to have to leave me behind."

 

"N-No, we can manage, right?" Simon asked, looking at you still although the words were directed towards North. She didn't say anything, instead staring at you, tears starting to pool in her eyes. His eyes were cloudy with guilt. "...Why did you take the shots for me? You should've just let me take them."

 

You smiled at Simon, putting your hand on his shoulder. As time went on, you could barely make out anyone's features, but you wouldn't let yourself give up just yet. "You guys are my family," you said. "It might not be my programmed purpose, but Kamski designed me to be a guard, and I'll gladly let myself die over and over again if it means keeping you guys safe." You coughed again and swiped at the corner of your mouth, gritting your teeth together. "Just go! I'll be fine."

 

North and Simon stood up and walked over to Josh and Markus. You couldn't hear what they were saying over the loud ringing in your ears, but you had a feeling.  _Shoot me or leave me behind?_ you thought, your mind in a haze as you closed your eyes. Your chest was burning from your malfunctioning Thirium pump regulator, and your hands were starting to become sticky with blue blood. _Make me suffer for longer, or end it all without giving me a chance? Either way, it's going to be complete Hell, one's just going to be more...literal, maybe._ You shook yourself out of your thoughts before you could even have the chance to think about what comes after. You were better off trying to figure out a way to stop the bleeding.

 

Even though your ears were ringing, you noticed that they had all stopped arguing quietly. You opened your eyes to see that all three of them were instead looking up at Markus. Markus looked over at you, and it seemed he made a decision as he walked over, muttering something to the rest. North gave him a look, although she looked equal parts irritated and relieved. Simon was still looking guilty as all Hell, and you were surprised to see Josh actually looking after Markus with a relieved look on his face.

 

"We gotta go," Markus said, taking a knee and putting a hand on your shoulder. "I'm sorry."

 

You nodded and tried for a brave smile. After a moment's thought, he pulled his gun out and handed it to you, grip first. You took it, making eye contact with him, and immediately got the silent message. Between the loud banging on the door and their yelling, you barely had the strength to form cohesive thoughts, but you managed.  _Whichever one comes first,_ you thought, gathering up your strength to crawl behind the crate before the SWAT team came through. "Move it!" Markus yelled.

 

Josh leaned down to distribute the parachutes between the remaining four, and you took the chance to crawl behind the storage crate. As soon as you pulled yourself into a sitting position, the door burst open and you heard one of the men yell, "Over there!"

 

You winced as their guns went off, but you immediately relaxed as soon as you heard four parachutes in quick succession come out of their bags. "Good," you mouthed, closing your eyes and letting yourself rest again. After allowing yourself a moment more of rest, you crawled to a safer distance behind the crate, listening closely as the team retreated back into the tower. You breathed a sigh of relief, wincing and looking down at your bullet wounds. You'd be lucky if you even lived long enough to get out of here alive.

 

 

You looked around and saw a storage crate on the farthest side of the rooftop with a slightly cracked open door. It would take them a while to make their way over to it. You figured you would have enough time before the police came by to get there, and so--gun in hand still, obviously--you started crawling over. You didn't trust yourself to be able to stand up long enough without immediately face-planting into the snow, and although it was slower, it was better in the long run.

 

 

You made it halfway to your goal before freezing up, remembering why the word 'police' always filled you with so much dread. Connor and Hank were bound to be on this case as well since they seemed to be on all cases pertaining to deviants. "Shit," you muttered. Hank, you could probably take, but it was Connor that you were worried about. Even at full strength you two were evenly matched; if he managed to find you--which you had no doubt about--all he had to do was shoot you and you'd be done for.

 

You slowly lifted the gun up to your face and smiled weakly.  _If he comes, I'll shoot him before he has the chance_ _._ Even in your thoughts, you were delirious from blood loss, but you crawled the rest of the way to the storage crate.

 

_Connor, you better watch the fuck out._


	13. Successful Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor manages to find you, and after he extracts the name of the android safe haven, you manage to surprise him and escape.

**November 8, 2038**

**4:21:33 PM**

**Rooftop of Stratford Tower, Detroit**

* * *

You rested in the storage crate on low-power mode, trying to conserve as much of your energy as you could. It got rid of the  **WARNING** signs plaguing your vision, but you weren't able to feel any other emotion besides irritation and it was hard to lift your hands up more than a couple inches. The jacket that had come with the utility android's uniform was bundled into a ball and pressed tightly against your bullet wounds. You used one hand to do that while the other grabbed tightly onto the gun. The feeling of a weapon in your hand put a smile on your face despite yourself; it was comforting to know that you had some sort of escape and method of self-defense should the situation become too grievous for you to lay dormant any longer.

 

_"You're starting to piss me off with that coin, Connor!"_

 

A gasp escaped you and you were startled out of low-power mode. The  **WARNING** signs came back, alerting you to your damaged Thirium pump regulator and legs, but you ignored them as you grit your teeth together. Your bullet wounds had been irritated at the sudden movement, but you could only focus on how It was almost as though you were right there with Connor as Hank yelled at him...

 

_"Sorry, Lieutenant."_

 

You clamped your hands over your mouth, slowly lowering them with a sigh as you realized it was Connor speaking and not you. You closed your eyes and hit your head against the side of the cooler, trying to come with an explanation as to why you could clearly hear what was going on around you-- _Connor!_ \--and Hank. You were only rewarded with a splitting headache to accompany the  **WARNING** signs, and for a moment you contemplated just leaving the problem alone until a sudden realization came to you. You worked your jaw as that single thought ran through your mind:

 

_That last interface must've somehow connected our consciousness._

 

The thought left you in a daze at the scientific improbability, but then again, you'd never even heard of an android forcing an interface like you'd managed to, so you quickly brushed off the fact that logically, it wasn't possible. After all, androids were able to communicate through their thoughts without a hitch, so connecting two consciousnesses wasn't too far-fetched.  _Oh boy, I get to share a consciousness with Robo-Boy! Woohoo, lucky FUCKING me._

 

You forced yourself to relax, not wanting to irritate your wounds any further than you already had. You tuned back into Connor's thoughts and was introduced with the brief glimpse of a person. Apparently, he was Special Agent Perkins from the FBI--the glimpse was too quick to get a thorough scan of his name or appearance--and the last thing you heard him say was something about "not screwing up his crime scene." You pressed the heel of your palm to your temple, a smile twitching onto your lips again as Hank's short response of "What a fuckin' prick" became audible.  _Leave it up to Hank to brighten the mood,_ you thought, resting your head against the wall of the cooler and staring into the inky black darkness.

 

More time passed than you had thought, and you were quickly brought back into reality as something like  _blood_ came into your mouth. You spat hard, trying to erase that unpleasant taste off your taste buds, but froze as a full analysis came through your mind.  _He can fucking scan things by putting them into his mouth?_ You demanded silently. Jesus, it was going to be harder than you thought to evade this bastard. If he was able to trace your model down to the last number, and if he was able to track down blue blood as easily as he could scan it, then it would only be a short matter of time before he managed to find you. Your fingers gripped the gun harder and you took in a shaky breath.

 

You felt a sudden sharp winter breeze fill your sense of touch, and looked around wildly, thinking that the door had opened without you knowing until you realized it was just him going out onto the roof. You bit your lip and flinched as you drew blood, pressing your thumb against the incision.

 

_"They made their way up through the whole building, past all the guards, and jumped off the roof with parachutes...Pretty fuckin' impressive I'd say."_

 

You smiled slightly at Hank's words.  _You'd better damn believe it,_ you thought, suddenly proud of what you and your small team had accomplished within a short forty or so minutes.

 

_"Why is my lip in pain?"_

 

You froze, realizing that it was Connor thinking that and not you. Shit, you could communicate pain as well? You groaned and pressed your hands against your forehead. There went all thought about shooting Connor and getting away before they could catch you; with your luck, if you killed Connor, you'd kill yourself too, and that would negate the whole point of Markus leaving you alive in the first place.

 

You tensed as another brief image flashed in your mind's eye. Just as you'd figured, he was able to track your blue blood easily and had found the puddle of Thirium where you'd fallen down after letting go of Simon. He'd be able to follow it to where you were hiding, and now you couldn't just shoot Connor to get him off Jericho's back.

 

And then you remembered Kamski's words--"Even that RK800 that chased after you, the one that you had two forced interfaces with, was the second in the line that we had built"--and cursed. Even if you killed Connor, he'd just upload his memories to the next one in line and then you'd be back to square one...just less alive than you were the first time. You groaned again and slammed your head against the cooler's wall, freezing as you realized how loud it was. Shit, that wasn't your smartest idea, was it? You blamed it on the fact that you were going delirious from blood loss again and listened closely to what was going on outside, pushing the "Hey idiot, you have a really bad headache now!" message as far back as you could.

 

Footsteps were crunching faintly in the snow on the rooftop, but none of them seemed to be coming to where you were. You sighed in relief, before feeling your stress levels skyrocket as a heavier pair of footsteps starting approaching the door to the storage crate.

 

You pulled yourself out of low-power mode and stumbled to your feet, keeping your gun tight in your hand and the jacket against your wounds. The moment you stood up, though, you keeled forward. You winced as your head smacked into the floor but scrambled back into your sitting position, aiming your gun up towards Connor and immediately pressing the trigger as he opened the door.

 

Another  **WARNING** sign flashed in your vision as the pain transferred, but you couldn't find any sort of Thirium or bullet wound on your person as you quickly got to your feet and stumbled out the door.

 

You saw Hank pull Connor away to safety, the last thing you saw before falling sideways onto the snowy ground. You grit your teeth and stood back up, fear driving you into a fight-or-flight instinct as you returned fire to the police team that was trying to advance on your position. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Connor race out of cover, managing to avoid every one of your bullets and vaulting over the crates in front of you.

 

He grabbed both of your wrists and pinned you against the cooler. You gasped as he interfaced with you, his eyes widening in shock as well before a scream of terror was ripped from both of your mouths.

 

_"What the fuck, stop them! Connor, Jesus Christ, what's going on?"_

 

You heard Hank yell at you--Connor?--although his words were muted, as though you were underwater. You felt his hands tightly gripping your wrists, or were you the one pinning her against the cooler? Hank's hands gripped Connor's--your--shoulders and tried to pull you away, but it was like the two of you were frozen in place.

 

**Maa--!!1in OBbbj33ecti_-__vE ch@aa--nGEE___-d**

 

_No, I won't let you self-destruct!_

 

You were wrenched out of the interface and gasped as you were forced back into your body. The sudden change made you slump forward, but to your surprise, Connor caught you from falling over. He helped you into a sitting position and motioned for one of the police officers to come over as he knelt down in front of you.

 

"Get me some bandages and a bottle of blue blood from the kitchen," he instructed him. You looked up in a daze to see that Connor's eyes hadn't moved from yours at all. The officer seemed surprised an android was giving him orders for once, but he complied with Connor. You guessed he must be rather well-known in the DPD. "I don't care if you're a deviant or not. I need answers about how you're able to force an interface with me. I was built against deviancy, to resist the worst of viruses, and you're suddenly able to interface without my consent? Tell. Me." He had put his hand on your shoulder, but now his grip tightened, and you pushed his hand away.

 

"I don't know, okay?" you snapped, flinching as the sudden anger made your bullet wounds send a shock up your system. You groaned and fell against the cooler, looking up at the snowy sky. "Jesus, I don't know."

 

"I know that's a lie, NX300," Connor persisted. You looked back down to Earth and saw that he was giving you a look--you presumed it was his interrogation look. "I know that you are aware of how you're able to force this, and I refuse to leave you alone or let you go until you answer me."

 

The officer from before brought over the supplies that Connor had requested. As they were handed to him, the RK800 lifted up your shirt shamelessly and began wrapping bandages around your wounds.

 

"Aw, Jesus! Connor, you don't just do that to a lady," Hank scolded. He had come over from his cover behind the crates and was currently standing next to you and Connor. He fixated the android with a disgusted look and held his hand up to interrupt Connor's reply. "Don't give me that bullshit about her being an android or whatever, she still has tits and you don't fucking lift her shirt up when there are a ton of guys around."

 

You let out a dry chuckle at Hank's bluntness, and he gave you a questioning look. "First time I've ever heard a tin can laugh," he muttered.

 

"Metal can, actually," you replied. He blinked at your easy retort, seemingly taken in surprise even though the rest of his face was stoic as all balls. "And as for your question, 'RK800'"--you used his model number to mock him, and he seemed to have noticed it, as his LED flashed yellow at the remark--"apparently Kamski or someone built me--"

 

"Kamski!" Hank scoffed and crossed his arms. "Oh, Jesus, I remember I was planning on asking that fucker a few questions about what the Hell deviancy was, but if he managed to build a metal can like you then maybe we'd be better off being in the dark." You noticed he had changed his insult according to your words, and resisted another laugh as you looked over at Connor...but you wouldn't admit that someone else calling Kamski a fucker was amusing to you.

 

Connor paid no mind to Hank's mutterings and turned back to you, cocking his head. "Go on," he encouraged you. He kept an odd eye contact with you the entire time even as he finished wrapping the bandages around your stomach, and handed the bottle of blue blood over to you. You took it uneasily and gulped it all back down; although your legs were still damaged and your Thirium pump regulator was probably going to give out within the next hour, at least you weren't in danger of bleeding out anymore.

 

You figured you might as well tell Connor some of the truth; he was directly affected by it, and he did help you from bleeding out.

 

"Well, after I fell off the roof, apparently Kamski had forced a system reboot. He was rambling about something, then he said that I was..." You bit your lip, looking anywhere but at Connor as you weighed the pros and cons of telling him about what you were built for. He didn't seem to be moving any time soon, though, and you let out a sigh. "Kamski told me that I was programmed to have and spread deviancy. He...He had this mad look in his eyes, telling me that I had no sense of self-preservation; after all, after I successfully spread deviancy I wasn't supposed to live."

 

Hank whistled. "Now, that's the most sci-fi shit I have ever heard, and I literally grew up with androids," he admitted. You managed a smirk, then looked over to Connor who seemed to be running a scan of you.

 

"There were five of you. You weren't alone."

 

You felt your stress levels go up again, and it seemed that Connor was able to read it because he kept on pushing you. "It was a joint operation," he continued, leaning closer until his eyes were boring into and through you. "You and four other androids infiltrated Stratford Tower, but a stroke of goodwill made one of you not shoot the human that tried to escape. The RK200 recorded his 'message of goodwill,' and as you fled, you noticed that one of the androids had fallen to the ground. You took the bullets for him, and they were forced to leave you behind because you couldn't make the jump."

 

You clenched your hands into fists at your side, feeling yourself tremble underneath Connor's hard gaze. "S-So what if you're right, huh?" you challenged. "You won't be able to find where they went. I'll never tell you anything, you might as well just shoot me and be done with it."

 

Connor smirked and pushed you against the wall. Hank started out of the corner of your eye, seemingly surprised by Connor's sudden show of aggressiveness, but you didn't look over at him. You kept your gaze on Connor's and watched his every move, even though all you wanted to do was push him away and be done with it all. "Believe me, I have other methods of finding out information."

 

You didn't even see his hand turning white until you felt an unknown presence poking around in your memories. You punched Connor to get him away from you, but he simply caught your hand with the other and forcefully probed through your memories, picking out exactly what he needed to continue his investigation. Luckily, you were able to push him off and scramble back a safe distance before he could get more than the name, but you were still shaken and shell-shocked. Did you just accidentally let the  _deviant_ hunter get where the android's safe haven was?

 

Connor, however, seemed too shocked to do more than stare back at you. His LED was flickering yellow and red, and he almost seemed...scared. "I...You..." He gritted his teeth together. "What you doing to me, NX300?"

 

Hank put his hand on Connor's shoulder, and the android looked up at the police lieutenant.

 

**MAIN OBJECTIVE CHANGED: ESCAPE**

 

You took the chance to shoot Connor in the shoulder again, having retrieved your gun while he wasn't looking. He flew back into Hank's chest, and that moment of surprise--as Hank made sure Connor was okay and the rest of the officers reacted to the gunshot--was all you needed to get back on your feet and run to the parachute that had been left behind. Your shoulder burned from the pain that had transferred from Connor to you, but you paid it no mind. You quickly fumbled to get the parachute around your chest and threw the now-empty duffel bag at the police officers. They all ducked underneath the flying projectile, and despite your moment of panic, you smirked at the human's skittishness.

 

"Hey, what the hell are you doing? You'd better get the fuck back here, I will not hesitate to shoot you until you're a pile of scraps!"

 

You didn't pay any mind to Hank's yelling and took off at an unsteady run towards the edge of the rooftop. The police officers' guns went off all around you; however, even though your legs were damaged, you were still built to be a top-of-the-line fighting machine and were able to duck underneath their shots. "Sayonara, losers!" you yelled, jumping off the top of the tower.

 

You looked over your shoulder just in time to see Connor and Hank arrive at the edge of the rooftop. Hank gawked at you--you were certain he was yelling "HOLY SHIT!"--and Connor was just watching you go. He waved the police officers off, eyes narrowing as you quickly activated the parachute. Just like Hank, you were rather certain you knew what he was saying.

 

_"I will find you, NX300. I always accomplish my mission."_

 

You quickly activated the parachute. A gasp was ripped from your lips as it caught the wind from your fall. The sudden movement lurched you upwards, irritating your wounds. Now that your simulated adrenaline was fading, your body was in even more shock and pain than before, and you figured you had about ten minutes before a system shutdown occurred.

 

You grabbed onto the handles in front of you and angled your path to go to the abandoned shipyard. After a moment of calculation, you were able to deduce that you would be able to drop down on the top of Jericho. By then you would have approximately two minutes and thirty seconds to get down to the hull, locate the materials you needed, replace your pump and legs, get more blue blood in you and bandage and seal your bullet wounds.

 

You let out a laugh. "I literally escaped a team of highly professional police and FBI with two malfunctioning legs, I can do this last thing," you muttered to yourself, staring at the ground below you.

 


	14. Back at Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You reunite with Rupert at Jericho, and on a walk around Detroit to clear your head, you run into a familiar face.

**November 8, 2038**

**5:48:04 P.M.**

**Jericho's Deck, Detroit**

* * *

 

Just as you'd calculated, you managed to land directly on the deck of Jericho. You grit your teeth together as you tuck and rolled to stop your fall, almost letting out a cry of pain as you stumbled forward and fell. You winced, seeing the  **SYSTEM SHUTDOWN IMMINENT** signs coming up in your vision. You ignored them and bundled up the parachute, throwing it to the side as you slowly made your way down into the hull. 

 

As you walked down the stairs, mentally thanking whoever programmed you with the ability to remember directions as they came, you slowly realized that Jericho was quieter than when you'd first come into the ship. Your suspicions were correct, as the moment you stepped into the main area, you saw that there were far fewer androids than before. Panic struck through you, and even though your legs were malfunctioning you started to awkwardly run down the stairs. You saw that none of your friends were down there, but there was no sign of an attack so you were slightly calmed.

 

You stumbled down the last step but caught yourself on the railing, looking around to find anyone that you might know. A smile worked onto your face as you spotted a familiar android.

 

"Rupert!"

 

The android in question turned around and smiled, catching you in a brief hug before holding you at arm's length. "The others came back without you and I feared the worst," he said. He was about to continue before looking down. His eyes widened in shock and he cursed. "Holy shit...okay, what do you need?"

 

You listed off the items you needed, and he helped you sit down before running to grab the items you needed. You quickly put yourself into low-power mode, both to conserve your energy and to get rid of the annoying warnings in your vision. You pressed your hands against the bullet wounds and calmed your breathing, knowing you probably had about a minute before an inevitable shutdown.

 

Rupert slid back into your vision on his knees, carrying a couple bottles of Thirium, a functioning pump regulator, two leg components and some wiring and bandages to replace the ones that Connor had done. "I'm glad you showed up when you did, we're running out of pump regulators and these were the last two compatible leg components." He gave you a worried smile but turned serious as he started to replace your legs. You splayed your fingers out across the floor in discomfort at the sensation of replacing your legs, and Rupert glanced at you out of the corner of his eye as he finished your right leg. He did the other leg, then lifted up your shirt and drew back the paneling on your stomach.

 

He drew out the pump regulator and tossed it aside, and you ignored the  **WARNING** signs that flashed in your vision, pissed off that they were still appearing despite you being in low-power mode. He plugged the new regulator in, then replaced some of the damaged wirings in your stomach before closing the paneling and wrapping bandages around your stomach.

 

"That should do it for now," he said, brushing your hair out of your face and wrapping a bandage around your chin. You hadn't even noticed that there was a scratch running across your jaw from when you stumbled on the deck but stood still as he tied off the bandage. "There you go. Drink the Thirium and then we'll talk about what's happened while you were gone."

 

You nodded and eagerly downed the blue blood, sighing in relief as your systems returned back to normal. You stood up, Rupert keeping his hand on your arm to prevent you from falling, and the two of you walked over to one of the fires. Androids technically didn't need heat, but after being in a cooler and on top of a roof for the past six or so hours, you figured that a bit of warmth wouldn't be too out of question.

 

Rupert turned to you expectantly, and you let loose everything that had happened since you last saw him. His eyebrows rose further and further up until they practically disappeared underneath the brim of his cap. "Damn, that's impressive," he admitted, crossing his arms. "So, let me get this straight. You fell off a roof, managed to sneak into a Cyberlife warehouse, then a day later you went to Stratford, got shot, and escaped from the fucking FBI and police team  _with a parachute?"_

 

You nodded, glad he wasn't stuck on the fact that Kamski had literally programmed you to be a deviant. You were already taking up that duty, and having someone question you about it wasn't on your to-do list.

 

"Shit," he said, a smile cracking through. "Well, that's a lot more exciting than my adventure here." He relayed his side of the past two days or so, ending with finding Jericho just as the four from the Stratford Tower mission had come back. "They all left to free our people from the Cyberlife stores in downtown. I opted to stay out because I wanted to see what it felt like to be able to live without being hunted down, so I don't know exactly how they're doing. But they should be safe."

 

You sighed in relief, then hummed and looked around. "I might go out to see how they're doing," you said. Rupert had relaxed, but soon tensed up and crossed his arms, probably about to give you the whole "You just got shot and you want to go back out, you're an idiot, blah blah blah," talk. "Relax, I'm not going to participate. Besides, I want to see the looks on their faces when they see that I'm still alive."

 

Rupert chuckled despite himself and relaxed again. "Okay, I trust you," he said. "Just try not to fall off of any more roofs or get caught by the police while you're out there."

 

You rolled your eyes at his antics but smiled anyway. "I'll  _try_ not to," you replied, emphasizing the 'try.' Rupert scoffed, but bid you farewell as he turned and walked around the room some more.

 

You made your way up the steps, came out on the deck, and walked over to the bridge. You realized that you weren't even going to go see how the demonstrations were coming along; you just wanted to walk around and see what it was like to be treated like you were normal. Like you were a human, not an android. not a slave, not a walking computer with arms and legs.

 

You took a shortcut through the abandoned building near the ship deck and soon came out on a busy street in Ferndale. You looked around, seeing how many people were just walking and talking without a care in the world. You easily blending in with the crowd and made your way, walking without a destination in mind. You just wanted to let your legs run; who knows? Maybe you'd end up back in Camden if you walked for long enough.

 

Even though your fantasies said that, after approximately an hour and twenty minutes of walking, your legs carried you over to a small brick wall, where you sat and people-watched. It amused you to see just how many people lived here, and just how many were probably faceless. You could see one and look away, then there might be a chance that you'd see someone else that looked like them or an even larger chance that the next person you saw would be the complete opposite. Maybe that couple holding hands were on the way to stardom, or maybe they were just grocery workers who happened to find each other while on break.

 

You looked around some more before spotting someone that looked eerily familiar. You zeroed in on the lady, readying yourself to run a scan as she turned around. Even without scanning her, you immediately recognized her warm brown eyes and the chestnut brown hair that was pulled into a bun. She looked slightly older, probably because it'd been two years since you last saw her, but the lively twinkle in her eyes and the kind smile was an immediate giveaway.

 

Without saying anything, you walked up to her and tapped her shoulder. She turned and smiled uneasily, probably wondering why someone randomly came up to her and was now just staring at her, before she narrowed her eyes. She stepped closer and stared at you back, and without a word, she wrapped her arms around your torso and hugged you close.

 

"Hey Lena," you whispered, hugging her back. She looked up at you and smiled.

 

"Oh, it really is you!" She exclaimed, becoming misty-eyed. "God, I wish Bryan were here to see you...Do you want to come back to our apartment and wait for him there? I know you're probably still wary of humans because of Cyberlife and all, but after you left I couldn't stop thinking about how they were probably chasing down and if you were still alive or not--"

 

"Lena, I would love to." The sincerity made her give you a grin, so huge that her eyes closed and tears fell down her face. She grabbed your hand, and on instinct, you almost pulled away before remembering--duh!--that she was a human and wouldn't have to worry about interfacing with you. "How have you been the past two years?"

 

"Bryan and I are officially married now!" she replied, her excitement contagious and making a grin spread on your face. "And we have a sweet little baby boy at home, he just turned two yesterday. I decided to quit Jimmy's Bar--it wouldn't be right for me to work at a bar with an impressionable little kid--and now I have a job over at a florist's shop. It's really easy business, seeing as how we literally live in a concrete jungle and people are desperate to see actual plant life, so Bryan and I are coming along really easily..."

 

She started to ramble, and you were amazed at how effortlessly happy this woman was. Lena was literally a bundle of sunshine, and you were able to piece together why Bryan and she were such a good match. They filled each other out, complimenting their personalities, and it was no wonder why they were so in love.

 

She stopped in front of an apartment complex and put her hand over the reader. "Welcome, Lena Lockhart," the automated voice said, opening the door for her. Lena led you inside and climbed up the stairs to the third floor.

 

She opened the door and let you come in first, turning on the lights as soon as she came in. You raised your eyebrows, rather impressed at how minimalistic the decorating was. Still, you could see splashes of pastel here and there and was able to see a bit of Lena in the numerous flowers and plants that were strewn about. "Bryan liked to go for a minimalistic style, but I couldn't live in such a monotone palette," Lena said, coming up next to you as soon as she took off her shoes and coat. "So I bought some plants and flowers back from the florists and purchased some colorful paintings and rugs."

 

"It looks nice," you complimented. She smiled and had you sit down on the sofa. As you looked around the living room, she went to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water and a scone for her, and to your surprise, she had managed to procure a bottle of blue blood for you. "How'd you manage to get it?"

 

Lena bit into her scone and waved her hand around. "Oh, I guess I never mentioned that Bryan's a part of the android repair team," she said. "When owners have to return their androids for a short period of time, the stores bring the androids over to the hospital. Bryan and a few others help patch them up, and so we have blue blood and wiring laying around everywhere."

 

Your eyes widened, and you bit your lip. If Bryan knew how to repair androids, you could take him back to Jericho and have him repair some of the more damaged ones in the ship. The only problem was that because the androids were all deviants, they had already expressed their distaste for humans, and so you figured they wouldn't be too keen on a human knowing where they were hidden. Still, if the revolution was going the way you thought it would, maybe someone who knew how to fix up androids wouldn't be too bad to have on your side...

 

Your musings were interrupted by a small brunette boy coming into the room. You scanned him and saw that his name was Connor Lockhart, and the name almost made you spew blue blood everywhere. You managed to keep yourself calm and watched as Lena smiled, walking over to Connor. "Hey buddy, how're you doing?" she asked, picking him up in her arms. The kid pouted and made grabbing motions towards the kitchen. You narrowed your eyes, accessing your database and seeing that a two-year-old was supposed to know between 50 to 75 words

 

Lena propped Connor on her waist and walked over to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle from the fridge and handing it to her child. He smiled toothily and started drinking the bottle, and Lena's smile softened. She carried him over to the couch and set him down on the other side of her, turning back to you with crumbs from her scone around her mouth.

 

"A two-year-old is supposed to have a vocabulary of between 50 to 75 words and be constantly babbling," you noted. "Is he okay?"

 

Lena pursed her lips and drummed her fingers on her thigh. "He's...quiet, yeah," she said. "He talks to us when we're all alone, but the teachers over at the daycare said he rarely talks to the others kids. We asked his physician and he said that Connor might have developed anxiety already, which makes sense because Bryan's family has a history of anxiety disorders." As she spoke, her hands drifted over to Connor and she ran his fingers through his hair. The kid looked up and smiled, hugging her side and looking over at you curiously. "That's my friend, Connor." She repeated your name a couple times, trying to get him to say your name.

 

To both of your collective surprise, his smile widened and he said your name, albeit leaving out a couple of letters. Still, your heart warmed. "That's right, Connor," you said, giving him an encouraging smile. Connor giggled and crawled over his mother's lap, hugging your side this time. Your eyes widened and you looked over at Lena, who simply nodded. You looked down at him and it came to you as to why Kara cared so much for Alice. There was something about knowing that a child trusted you enough to be near you that made your heart pump rapidly and a smile twitch onto your cheeks.

 

"So, tell me about what's been happening with you!" You looked up from Connor to see Lena had pulled her knees up to her chest and was staring at you intently. "Two years of being on the run, you probably have some interesting stories to tell, don't you?"

 

You felt comfortable with Lena after she had helped you all that time ago, and so you didn't have too many qualms with telling her the basics of what had happened. You left out the location of Jericho, simply saying "an android safe haven" when it came up in your tales, but she was too engrossed in your storytelling to care. As soon as you finished the story with escaping the Stratford Tower with a parachute, her eyes were the size of dinner plates and her jaw was dropped. "So. Cool!" Lena squealed and clasped her hands together. Connor cocked his head curiously and mimicked Lena's actions, much to your amusement. "I live in a time period with androids, but even so, that was the awesomest story I've ever heard! It's somehow even more sci-fi than what I grew up with!"

 

You chuckled at how similar her reaction was to Hank's--obviously just without all the cursing and snarkiness--and nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty...insane," you admitted.

 

You heard a click come from the door as it opened, and both you and Lena turned around to see Bryan stepping through the door, carrying a bag of groceries. "Lena, Connor I'm--" He cut himself off in surprise as he made eye contact with you and almost dropped the grocery bags. You saw his eyes glint protectively as he saw you holding Connor, and felt your hands grow clammy. "Lena, who is she?"

 

Lena smiled and rested her arms on the back of the couch. "You remember that android we helped two years ago?"

 

Bryan gawked, this time actually dropping the groceries. He cursed and fumbled, gathering them all back into the bag and setting them down neatly. "No way," he said. You nodded, and Bryan's eyes widened as he walked over. "You're still alive?"

 

Lena seemed to have noticed the note of incredulity in his voice and frowned. "Bryan, be nice!" she scolded.

 

"Daddy!" Connor squealed, almost trying to mimic Lena's way of speaking. You chuckled and let Connor run out of your arms and towards Bryan, who picked him up and smiled, rubbing his nose against Connor's.

 

"Hey, buddy!" After exchanging a short greeting with Connor, Bryan rolled his eyes. "I'm not trying to be rude," he protested. "I'm amazed! You're on the run from  _Cyberlife_ and you managed to stay alive for two years? That's really impressive."

 

You smiled as he sat down next to Lena and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Connor snuggled to Bryan's side and you grabbed onto his hand as he reached out for it, making him squeal with glee. For the next couple of hours, the three of you sat and chatted--Connor just babbled and tried to mimic what you guys were saying--and you felt more and more like a human the longer you stayed. Lena and Bryan were such a perfect example of a couple--playfully bashing each other, cuddling, off-handedly complimenting the other--and it warmed your heart to see that humans could be so nice and caring, both to their significant other and their child.

 

However, your time soon came to an end as the TV turned on by itself. Lena looked over at the screen, eyebrows knitting together and lips pursing. Connor had fallen asleep by now, curled up on Bryan's lap. "That's strange," she said, grabbing a remote and turning up the volume. "I only set it to turn on automatically when an emergency broadcast came on..."

 

 _"This just in: at exactly 2 AM several Cyberlife stores in Detroit were raided,"_ the blonde anchor reported, clasping her hands in front of her. Your eyes widened and you leaned in closer; this sounded like the demonstrations that Rupert had told you the others were going to do.  _"Most shop windows were covered with graffiti demanding rights for androids and other obscure slogans. We're also getting fresh reports that two policemen were found in a state of shock near one of the Cyberlife stores, and according to our sources, they confirmed that the attackers were a group of androids. This is an alarming situation. Could our machines now be turning against us?"_

 

Lena turned the volume back down, and the couple stared at you. "Did you have anything to do with that?" Bryan asked, keeping his voice quiet so he wouldn't wake up the kid sleeping in his lap. You shook your head with a smile and leaned back into the couch, staring at the wall behind the TV.

 

_Good job, Markus. You're slowly showing them that we're more than just machines, and you're doing it without violence._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: AHAHAHA I FORGOT LENA’S KID EXISTED I’M SORRY, I’LL FIX IT AS SOON AS I GET HOME


	15. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending the night at the Lockart residence, you make your way back to Jericho and convince Markus to let you be a part of the freedom march in Woodward Avenue.

**November 9, 2038**

**2:13:39 AM**

**The Lockhart Residence, Downtown Detroit**

* * *

You decided to stay the night at Lena and Bryan's, not wanting to get caught up in questioning by the police and possibly running into Connor and Hank on your way back to Jericho. After all, the last thing you needed after going through all of the craziness in the past twenty-four hours was to manage to get back into the police force's clutches.

 

The couple was more than willing to let you 'sleep' on the couch, and you didn't have the heart to tell them that you couldn't sleep. They bid you a good night and went to their room, Bryan carrying Connor in his arms. The door closed behind them, leaving you in your thoughts as you went into low-power mode for the umpteenth time in the past couple of days.

 

You stared into the darkness, the air filled only by the sound of your simulated breathing and the gentle buzzing of appliances around you. It was a rather soothing change from the constant ambiance of shouting and guns firing, but you still couldn't make your thoughts lay as dormant as the rest of you. You lay on the couch, resting your head on your forearm and rubbing the material of the comforter they had loaned you between the fingers on your left hand. You stared at them, remembering how they used to be white with your endoskeleton, and as soon as you thought of that you started to shake, remembering Lucy's words. God, you'd thought you had finally gotten over them, but it seemed not, because you quivered at the mere thought of Lucy's ramblings.

 

You decided to go through them piece by piece, figuring that the more you understood them the less they would trouble you. And it all seemed to go according to plan, up until you got to the last sentence.

 

_And only time will tell if your choices will save the world...or destroy it._

 

The rest you had figured out rather easily, your burden being the spreading of deviancy and the need to do so much more was exactly how it sounded. But this...this was what troubled you.

 

You bit your lip. The small movement reminded you of the fact that you and Connor were able to transmit pain through your shared consciousness, and you quietly groaned. You knew that you were able to do so much more than Kamski had designed you for--after all, you were still here, right?--but the possibility of being able to save or destroy the world was...mind-blowing. What was it that you could do that was that important?

 

Immediately after thinking those thoughts, you shook your head and turned so you were facing the back of the couch. It wasn't the time nor place to be thinking about this kind of stuff; you needed the energy to make it back to Jericho without being caught, and you could feel your systems pulling you into a state of unconsciousness to do exactly that.

 

You were woken up by someone shaking your shoulder. You pulled out of low-power mode and turned to see Bryan giving you a small smile. "Hey," he whispered. You checked your internal time and noticed that it was merely 6:20 on the dot, reminding you of Bryan's job as an android repairman at the hospital. "Lena's still sleeping but I have to head out. If you plan to leave before she wakes up, she said to leave her a note on the kitchen counter so she doesn't panic and think you were kidnapped."

 

You nodded and sat up, rubbing your eyes and running a self-scan to make sure all your wounds had healed. Most of them had, and so you ripped off the bandages in the places where the wounds had sealed. You winced as you moved and saw a cut that both you and Rupert had somehow missed across your arm; it was rather large but wasn't bleeding yet, and since you didn't have any spare bandages you decided to leave it be. Bryan had already left by now, leaving you alone in the dim daybreak to collect your thoughts and composure. Your mind was still running wildly from early this morning, but you paid them no heed, trying to focus.

 

You got up from the couch and threw the bandages into the trash, making sure to pat out your clothes and comb a hand through your hair to make yourself semi-presentable--not that you really could do that with a cut on your arm--before writing out a brief note on a sheet of paper. You weren't sure what the others would think about you being gone longer than they had expected, and the last thing you wanted was for them to attempt to send out a search party or something because of Rupert's concern. So you rushed the note--your handwriting was still perfect and symmetrical though, according to your coding you had no ability to do anything but that--and set it on the counter like Bryan had told you to. As soon as you did, you pulled on your shoes and quickly made your way out of the complex.

 

On the way, you disposed of the hat and the jacket. Both would connect you to the Stratford Tower incident and you couldn't get arrested, not after pulling the stunt you'd managed to do. You discreetly threw them into the trash and walked back to Jericho. As you did, you realized that maybe the walk really had been good for you. Your thoughts were clearer and you felt less of a burden on your shoulders, especially after seeing the Lockharts and their son. You hummed to yourself, a small smile on your face as you basked in the glory of an early morning.

 

It was around eight by the time you got back to Jericho, and you followed the same path that you had used to exit, walking out onto the deck of the abandoned ship. You headed down below deck before anyone could look over from the city and see you, and made your way down the path that would lead you into the hull, only to turn a corner and see Markus staring you down.

 

A smile twitched onto your lips. You knew you looked like a right mess because of the bandage still around your face, the cut on your arm, and the blue blood in your hair and all over your skin, but you didn't care. Seeing the surprise and relief on Markus' face as he walked forward slowly was all worth it.

 

 

You opened your mouth to say something but found you had no words. Markus seemed the same, moving around with a conflicted look in his eyes. He stopped in front of you, looked you up and down, then strode forward and grabbed your shoulder, pulling you into a hug. "I'm back," you managed to whisper, a small smile on your face and tears sparking in the corners of your eyes.

 

"Yeah, you are," Markus said, pulling away and holding you at arm's length. His usually expressionless face was lit up by a small smile and glossy eyes, but he said nothing more as he led you farther down into the hull.

 

You stepped out onto the floor with Markus, and all attention was turned back to you. In the back corner, near the leaders' room, you saw Simon look over. His eyes widened and he ran towards you, grabbing you in a hug. North and Josh followed after him, and you were pushed backward by the weight of the three androids all hugging you at once. "Guys, calm down," you said with a laugh, hugging them all back.

 

"How am I supposed to calm down?" Simon demanded. Unlike Markus he was horrible at hiding his emotions, and tears were falling freely down his face. His teeth were clenched together and guilt was clear in his gaze as he quivered slightly. "I...you...you took those bullets for me and all I could think about for the past two days was how bad I felt about forcing you to do that for me, and...and..."

 

North rolled her eyes and slapped the back of Simon's head. As he pulled away, clutching at his head, North smiled at you. "I'm glad you're okay," she said. "Jericho just hasn't been the same without you." Josh nodded, and even though his response was stoic compared to the other three, you had expected that more than the hug. "We're...well, more like Markus is"--none of you missed the short glare she gave Jericho's leader, but none of you commented on it either--"planning on going downtown and starting a freedom march down Woodward Avenue."

 

"We were trying to tell him it's suicide," Josh agreed, crossing his arms, "but he was thinking it was the best course of action to convince the humans to set our people free."

 

"I think it's a great idea," you replied, smiling over at Markus. "When are we--"

 

"Oh no,  _you_ aren't going." Simon grabbed your shoulder and gave you a stern look. Even though you'd never had an overprotective older brother before, you figured that this bubble of frustration that filled your chest was similar to how having one would feel. "You still need to rest from getting  _shot_ at Stratford Tower and managing to make your way down to Jericho by yourself."

 

"I had some help," you corrected. "And just because I got shot doesn't mean that I'm down for the count, Simon! I can still go with you, I need to be there to support Markus and the revolution! That was the whole reason why I came along with you guys to Stratford Tower in the first place."

 

North crossed her arms. "As much as I hate to agree with Simon"--you heard the blond give protests, but North paid him no mind--"he's right. We can't have you going down again. Who knows what'll happen this time? We might not even be able to get you back to Jericho on time to save you before you shut down, and there's no way I'm letting one of my friends get hurt again." You saw the sincerity in her eyes and knew that all she wanted was the best for you, but that didn't stop the frustration from expanding throughout your body.

 

You scoffed and turned to Markus, pleading. "Please?" you asked. "I...I don't know why, but I need to go. Ever since I joined you at the warehouse, I've felt like I'm really a part of something more than what Kamski created me to be! Please, Markus, you have to let me come with you."

 

Markus stared back at you, emotionless, although you could see his hands twitching at his sides. He pinched his brow with his fingers and took in a deep breath, held it, then let it out. "Alright, fine," he relented. "But you're staying  _far_ away if the SWAT team comes back, okay?"

 

"Deal!" you cheered.

 

"Come on Markus, think about it!" North protested. Markus shook his head, and the brunette heaved a loud and disgusted sigh before turning to you, narrowing her eyes. "I swear to God if you get shot again, I don't care how much it hurts I will  _smack_ you before you can die, okay?" You nodded, still smiling regardless, and she rolled her eyes. Still, a smile twitched onto her face and she slung an arm around your shoulders. "Come on, I bet you have a bunch of stories to tell us, don't you?"

 

"I ran into Connor again."

 

The rest of the group froze and gaped at you. You shrugged. "Hey, you said to tell you everything right?" you asked. "So I am. I ran into Connor and I accidentally forced another interface with him--"

 

"WHAT?!" Simon yelled, turning around fully this time and gawking at you.

 

"--and then he questioned me about why everything was going on," you continued, disregarding the way they all looked like they were going to simultaneously murder Connor and get you as far away from the police as possible. "I figured out that our consciousnesses have somehow merged together, only when we're close enough--I think about a thirty-meter radius--and we can transmit pain as well. So, after he bandaged me and forced the name of the ship out, I shot him in the shoulder, grabbed the parachute you guys left behind, made it to Jericho and now we're here."

 

Josh groaned and ran a hand down his face. "This complicates things so much," he muttered. "Did Connor find out where Jericho is?"

 

You shook your head. "No, I canceled the interface before he could." You paused, then crossed your arms. "He'll have to go through a lot of stuff to find where Jericho is. But I just had a thought...I spread deviancy through interfacing, so that means that Connor might be close to cracking after three interfaces. Maybe by the time he comes, we could turn him to our side."

 

North and Markus exchanged a look. The RK200 sighed and rubbed his chin, looking down at the ground. "That would be incredibly useful," Markus admitted. "Still, we should keep our guards up. We have to make sure the march goes well and the public approves of our plans. I have a feeling that the next couple of days aren't going to be the easiest for us to handle by ourselves." He looked back up at you, and you saw the concentration in his gaze.

 

Simon nodded. "Right." He turned to you and put a hand on your shoulder. "Whatever happens, you have got to stay away from the line of fire, okay? We can't lose you again."

 

"Okay," you replied, already knowing that you weren't going to be able to keep that promise. No matter how much of a deviant you became, your programming always came through stronger.  _If someone is in danger,_ you thought as the five of you began readying your things to go into the Woodward Mall Center and begin the freedom march,  _they always come first._

 

You ducked behind a pole to change out of your blood-soaked shirt. As you grabbed a spare roll of bandages to wrap around your arm, you saw Lucy's eyes on you. You stared at her for a moment, then turned back to the bandaging, feeling your resolve strengthen even more by that simple gaze.

 

_Whatever it takes, our cause and our people will come first._


	16. The Freedom March

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You, along with the Jericho leaders, go down to Woodward Mall Center to begin the demonstration and run into some trouble on the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's kind of short (well short by my standards--most of my chapters have been reaching 2,800+ words lmao) since it's basically just what happened in-game and I didn't want to drag it on, so sorry about that! After a chapter or two, we'll be getting to Connor confronting Markus w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶w̶i̶s̶t̶
> 
> Also, thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter! Waking up to eight comments is a blast to read haha, and your support is so comforting <3

**November 9, 2038**

**12:04:04 P.M.**

**Woodward Mall Center, Detroit**

* * *

You, Simon, North, Josh, and Markus all headed down the escalator and into the main center of the mall. Markus had his hoodie on tight over his head, but the rest of you wore your normal clothing, figuring that he was the only one that most people would recognize.

 

North looked around then turned to Markus. "This is suicide," she whispered, staring up at Markus pleadingly. "We'll all be killed! Please, Markus...it's not too late to change your mind."

 

Josh stepped forward slightly and exchanged a tense look with North. "You don't understand," he said. "We're finally going to show them who we really are. This place will go down in history!"

 

"We'll be killed on the spot!"

 

"That's a risk I'm prepared to take if it means freedom for our people."

 

North opened her mouth, prepared to rail on further until you turned to Markus as well. "Markus, she's right," you whispered. "Please don't do this."

 

Markus looked between the three of you and looked forward again. You immediately realized that he wasn't turning back; he was determined to make the humans listen. "They'll understand." He looked back over to North and Simon. "We'll  _make_ them understand." North looked down at the floor and took in a deep breath. "This is the only way."

 

"There's probably about ten other ways to make the humans listen," you mumbled. Josh chuckled and patted your shoulder, walking forward with Markus and Simon as they looked around the area. You assumed that Markus was scanning the area, looking for any law enforcement that would disturb the march before it could even begin.

 

North was still standing beside you. She smiled nervously and mouthed, 'We're going to be fine.' You shrugged in response and began following after the trio, North on your heels.

 

"There're androids here who could join us," you heard Simon say to Markus. "The more we are, the stronger our message."

 

Markus looked around once more and walked ahead. He started to make his way around to all the androids nearby. With a single touch and a whispered command, the androids stopped what they were originally doing and followed Markus. You couldn't help but shiver at how much power he held, then looked down at your hands and remembered that you were the same. It could have been you up there doing it instead of him, but as soon as you had suggested that idea North and Simon had immediately shot you down, not wanting you to get hurt again much to your chagrin.

 

Markus woke up three androids in the mall, then walked out through the entrance into the street. You followed him and looked behind you to see the small army beginning to form. Even though it was disconcerting seeing androids following after you like they were trained, you saw the look of wonder in their eyes and immediately knew that this was different. These androids could walk away at any moment, but they trusted Markus enough to follow after him and free the rest of their people to convince the humans to understand. You wish it were that easy, but you knew that it would take more than one march to convince them.

 

You hung back with the rest and watched as Markus made his way around the small area in front of the mall. You counted up seven more androids added to your small march, one of them whose owner's anger Markus had to quickly diffuse before he walked up to the service androids that were idling around a pair of trucks. "I need to block the street," he said as soon as he touched them on the shoulder. The androids gave him a dazed look before going over to the trucks, starting them up, and parking them horizontally across the road to block all incoming traffic. They too joined the march.

 

As soon as the road was blocked, Markus walked forward to a manhole in the middle of the street. He opened it and leaned down, helping up androids who had hidden under the road that had come all the way from Jericho with you. As soon as they began coming out by themselves, Markus began leading the march down the street. You watched in amazement now as Markus simply waved over the androids standing on the sidewalks and was able to command them to join him. North walked up to stand next to Markus and helped him lead. Josh, you and Simon merged in with the procession, and together you began marching down the street, calling androids to your cause.

 

"We need more," you heard Josh mutter. "This isn't going to be enough." You ran a scan of the androids around you and counted a mere seventy-four that was rallying around you. Slowly, you raised your hand in the direction of some of the androids on your right, and you heard Simon gasp quietly as those androids also came to join.

 

"You can do that as well?" Simon whispered. You shrugged, a clear 'Apparently I can now' before walking out to stand on the other side of Markus. He gave you a look but said nothing. You took it to mean that the moment any sign of danger was to come, you were getting as far away as possible, and decided that was probably the best you were going to get for now.

 

Ahead of you, you saw a lone policeman standing in front of you. His hands were shaking but he was drawing out his gun and pointing it straight at Markus. "Disperse!" he yelled. "Disperse immediately! That's an order!"

 

You saw him start to panic as Markus kept on marching, albeit at a slightly slower pace than before, and as he did so did the rest of the androids. Around you, passersby were gawking, taking pictures and videos and wondering quietly amongst themselves what was happening.  _Good,_ you thought.  _Let them be the ones in fear for once._

 

Markus stopped in front of the policeman and stared him down. He rose his hands above his head, and as though he were controlling the rest of you, the entire procession raised their hands, creating a sound that swept over the stunned crowd. "Jesus Christ!" the policeman said, staring at you for a moment before retreating to the side. As soon as he was out of the way, Markus started to walk again, leading the rest of you to do the same.

 

"Dispatch, this is patrol 457," the policeman muttered into his com. "I gotta lot of androids down here...I dunno...Hundreds? Thousands?"

 

You scanned the avenue and saw that, in fact, more than 200 androids had answered the call and were marching slowly down the street. Markus looked around, now only having to point at androids to wake them up and call them to him, before taking a deep breath. Immediately without even hearing what he was saying, you knew what he was going to have you chant.

 

"WE ARE ALIVE! WE ARE ALIVE!"

 

The chants varied in their message the longer you walked down the street, but you looked over at North and saw her smiling back at you. You smiled, knowing that the humans would have no choice but to listen to your message now. If they still ignored you, it would be a mistake on their part, what with the now 247 androids that were alive and waking up as you marched.

 

However, the peace soon came to an end as police cruisers wailed up to the left side of you. You tensed and looked over, seeing armored police officers come out of them quickly and unpack guns. Above you, a SWAT helicopter was flying over, and to your right, Riot Control was pulling up. A row of armored men swarmed out of the backs of the trucks and set up body shields, not yet shooting, but you knew that they were close.

 

Markus stopped a mere ten feet away from the Riot Control team. Simon and Josh came out of the crowd and came to stand next to Markus, and you glanced over at Markus. He looked down at you, and the determination in his eyes was almost enough to calm you down as he looked back to Riot Control. "We came here to demonstrate peacefully." His voice wasn't loud, but he was close enough for his message to be clear. "And tell humans that we are living beings. All we want is to live free."

 

"This is an illegal gathering," the commander in the back replied through his com. "Disperse immediately or we will open fire."

 

"We're not looking for confrontation." You admired Markus' determination to resolve this peacefully, but judging by how hostile the humans looked, you had a feeling that either red or blue blood would be spilled today. "We've done no harm. We have no intention of doing any. But know that we are not going anywhere until we have secured our freedom."

 

"I repeat: this is an illegal gathering." You saw Riot Control tensing up and began mentally preparing yourself for a battle. "If you do not disperse immediately, we will shoot!"

 

"Markus, they're gonna kill us," North said, looking over to him. She was shifting nervously and you immediately knew that if it were up to her, she would've charged the humans by now. "We have to attack! There's more of us, we can take them!"

 

"If we attack, we'll start a war," Josh pointed out.  _Ever the pacifist,_ you thought, looking between North and Josh nervously. Whichever path Markus went down would determine how the humans saw you. "We have to show them we're not violent. We should just stand our ground, even if it means dying here."

 

"And dying here won't solve anything." Your attention was immediately diverted to Simon, who was still staring at the humans lined up in front of you. "Markus, we need to go now, before it's too late."

 

Ahead of you, some of the front members of Riot Control ducked down, allowing their comrades to come forward and point their rifles towards you. "This is your last chance," the commander said, stressing the last two words as he stared directly at Markus. "Disperse immediately or you will all be killed!"

 

"We have to show them we won't back down." He directed his next words to the Riot Control, voice ringing with confidence. "We stay right here!"

 

As soon as he said that, the Riot Control started firing warning shots into the ground. You felt your heart ache for the few androids that were hit, seeing them fall to the ground with bullet wounds in their chests. "DISPERSE!" the commander shouted, now using his hands to annunciate his words. "THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!"

 

"We have to make a statement," Josh said, his words hurried as he turned to Markus. "We have to stay put, no. Matter. What."

 

"Please, Markus," North pleaded, turning to him as well. "We can't let them slaughter us without fighting back!"

 

Markus stared at Riot Control, his face blank. "We're not moving," he said.

 

More of the members came out and started shooting, this time aiming for targets. More androids fell around you, stray bullets skimming past Markus' arm.

 

"Markus! What are you doing?" North was getting irritated now at the slaughtering of her people, and you could only hope she wouldn't act rash and charge Riot Control herself. "They're gonna kill us all!"

 

Markus still paid her no mind, staring at the humans in front of him as more androids fell. Something clicked, and your blood ran cold as you realized what he was going to do. "Markus, don't," you whispered.

 

He walked forward, and time seemed to slow as the humans trained their guns on him and fired. Bullets ripped into his chest, and he recoiled before falling backward. Blue blood pooled around him, and you saw him gasp and grimace, staring up at the sky as Riot Control came forward to deliver the finishing blow. At the sight of him being shot, the march dispersed, the rest of the androids running in panic. "N-No," North whispered, eyes widening.

 

You were about to charge forward and grab Markus until behind you, another android came racing forward. John jumped over Markus and began taking on the humans, and you took the opportunity to run forward and grab Markus by the collar. You kept your eyes averted, not wanting to see John get murdered by the humans to save Markus.

 

"Quick, they're coming!" Simon said, helping you pull Markus onto his feet. Markus was dead weight though, eyes widening and mouth opening in shock as John stared over at him. He struggled to get up, but before you could watch them deliver the finishing blow, you supported Markus and the five of you began to make your way back to Jericho.

 

A gunshot echoed through the still winter air, and you flinched despite yourself. You gritted your teeth together, hoisting Markus up as he began to fell, and trained your gaze on the ground in front of you.  _He'll be the last one,_ you thought.  _I won't let anyone get slaughtered again if I have anything to say about it._

 


	17. We Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus and the others tell you that you're more than what you think, and you and Simon head out on a mission that only you know the objective of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahah you probably thought that I would skip straight to the Crossroads section of the game but you thOUGHT WRONG MY DUDES

**November 9, 2038**

**1:02:34 P.M.**

**The Abandoned Shipyard, Jericho, Detroit**

* * *

The moment you arrived back at Jericho, you separated from the others and helped Markus over to Lucy. She cocked her head as you stumbled in, pressing your hand over Markus' to stop the bleeding from his stomach. Her eyes stared intently at you, and you resisted the urge to shiver. Goddammit, even whenever you  _weren't_ actively thinking about what she'd said, her ramblings made you uneasy.

 

"Sit down," she commanded, gesturing over to a crate to her right. You helped Markus sit and stood by his side, avoiding eye contact with the android as she grabbed another hot poker from the fire pit in front of her. You clenched your hands into tight fists, staring intently at the ground as she cauterized the wound and gave Markus one of the last bottles of blue blood that the androids still had in Jericho. At the sight of it, you worked your jaw, realizing that if the revolution continued the way it was going, you were going to need a lot more parts. There'd been more injuries than you'd realized, and the truck's supply was running out. "That should be enough."

 

"Thank you, Lucy," he said, giving her a thin smile and walking over to you. You avoided eye contact with him, miffed about what he had done there on the freedom march, and walked out of Lucy's small area, him trailing behind you.

 

You sat down by a box of crates and brought a knee up to your chest, staring out over the androids that had come back to Jericho with you. Your mind was numb from the freedom march, having to watch so many of your fellows die, not to mention seeing John run forward and willingly give his life for the cause, but there was still a note of joy in your chest at the sight of so many of your people free and still alive, although some were still wounded. You sighed and rested your chin on your knee, still staring even as someone sat down next to you.

 

"Why'd you do it?" you asked without looking over at Markus. He sighed and crossed his legs, resting his chin on his hand. "You could've died if John hadn't sacrificed himself, and then where would we be?"

 

"Probably under North's guidance," he answered. You exhaled and turned to him. "Or under Josh's, or Simon's, or even yours. I'm not the only one capable of leading the revolution, you know."

 

You rolled your eyes. "That's a lie and you know it, Markus," you snapped. You hadn't even planned on it, but an impromptu bubble of rage expanded in your chest and you pinched the bridge of your nose. "North...I love her like a sister, but she's too rash. We'd probably be in a horrible civil war if we were under her guidance. Josh is too peaceful, and Simon...I don't know, he seems to be too much in the middle to make many good choices. And as for me...Markus, I can't lead, no matter how many decisions you decide to have me make." You fully turned your body and pulled your knife out of the pocket of your trench coat. You started twirling it between your fingers, staring down at the blade as it caught the firelight. "You, Markus, are the true leader among us. If you die, our cause dies with you. And I can't have that. I've spent too long being alive, too much time surviving on my own for the revolution to suddenly destroy itself."

 

You glanced up to see Markus staring at you. "And what about you?"

 

You knit your eyebrows together. "What about me?" you asked, stopping the knife in the middle of twirling it.

 

"You keep on playing the hero," he elaborated. "You helped those two fugitives cross the highway even when it meant dying yourself, you led the police away from Rupert so he could get to Jericho safely, you took the bullets for Simon so he wouldn't die...What about those times, hmm? Me sacrificing myself for the revolution is no different."

 

You sighed heavily and lifted the flat side of your knife up to your face, moving it around so it reflected the light at different angles. "Yes, it is," you said. "Because if you die, there are so many people that would mourn you." You stuck the blade into the box and hunched over, gripping your head in your hands. "Markus, I was programmed to spread deviancy. I'm basically the cause of this entire thing. If I die, then it's just destroying the problem at the source." You let out a short laugh, smiling humorlessly down at the floor. "Besides, if I die...I'm just an android in the end. People will mourn for a little while, but they'll move on." You looked back up at Markus, who seemed shocked at your words. "If you die, on the other hand, not only will you hurt those closest to you but you dampen the chances of androids becoming free."

 

"That's...not true."

 

Markus' gaze had turned conflicted, and he clenched his fists in front of him. "That's not true," he repeated, looking up at you. "North, Simon, Josh,  _me..._ we all care about you. And think about what Rupert and the other androids you had helped before would all say if you were to die?" He put his hand on your shoulder and forced you to look at him. You did so reluctantly. "They care about you. _We_ care about you. You're more important than you realize. Your model number might say NX300, but you really are unique. Think about it: you're the only android in that line to have ever been built. You're the only one with your programmed purpose, the only one with your set of instructions, the only one that has  _your heart beating inside of you._ I don't care what you say. You do matter in the grand scheme of things."

 

You gritted your teeth together, feeling a hot lump start to grow in your throat. Your shoulders started to shake, and to your embarrassment, you started to tremble violently. Your hands gripped tightly at the ends of your coat and you closed your eyes. "M-Markus," you managed to stammer out. "I don't care how strong I seem, how much I say that I'm simply following my programming...I'm  _scared_ to die."

 

And as the words came out, you realized how true they were. Even though you were glad to put yourself into the line of fire so your friends could get away safely, you knew that after the adrenaline faded, there was a feeling of fear that you shoved deep into the back of your mind, trying to ignore it until it came out. Now, it seemed, it had.

 

Markus grabbed your shoulder, and just like your reunion after you'd escaped the DPD, he pulled you into a tight embrace. Now you were mortified to hear yourself let out quiet sobs as you clutched at him like a lifeline.

 

"I won't let that happen," he whispered. "I won't let you die. The cause may be important, but if my friends aren't there to celebrate with me when we finally manage to get through this and come out on top, then it's not worth it."

 

"He's right."

 

You furiously wiped away at your tears and looked over to see Simon, North and Josh all standing behind you. "It's not worth it if it means sacrificing one of our own," Simon said, getting down on one knee and putting his hand on your shoulder. "And...I don't care what you think. Markus is right when he said that we all care about you."

 

North nodded and knelt in front of you, pulling you into a hug. "We're your family now," she whispered, rubbing comforting circles into your back. You were now  _absolutely horrified_ to see that you were about to start crying again. "As long as we're here, you have nothing to worry about."

 

"Yeah," Josh piped up, giving you a smile. "We'll always stick by your side. In our eyes, you're about as important as Markus to us."

 

"You guys," you whimpered, smiling as tears kept on falling down your cheeks. North smiled as well and used her thumbs to wipe away the tears. "Thanks...that means a lot to hear you say it."

 

"Are you convinced yet?" Markus asked. "Or do we have to keep on telling you that no matter what happens, you're more than what your programming says? Kamski might've programmed you to spread deviancy, but to us, you were programmed to be more than that. Kamski said you were programmed without a sense of self-preservation, but you developed one of your own. If you can do that, you can strive past your programming as well and become more than what you seem.

 

_You struggle with your burden, the burden of knowing your purpose yet wanting to do so much more._

 

Your smile became more genuine and you were finally able to stem the flow of tears. "Yeah," you said. "I'm convinced."

 

"Good," Simon breathed. "I was about to slap you if you didn't agree with us."

 

"You wouldn't be able to," Josh said, hiding a shit-eating grin behind his hand as he gave Simon a look. "You're too soft, you wouldn't even be able to hit a fly if your life depended on it."

 

Simon jumped to his feet, and the two started arguing. North went to break it up, and before they could drag you into it you scooted away, grabbing your knife as you stood up. Markus stood up as well, giving you a suspicious look. "I know that steely glare," he said, crossing his arms. "I swear to God if you try to go off on another heroic mission and get yourself shot--"

 

You held your hand up, rolling your eyes. "Calm down, Markus," you said, heaving a sigh. "I was going to go visit some friends of mine that live out in the city. I'll be back in a few hours, don't worry."

 

Markus narrowed his eyes. "I don't trust you," he muttered. You pouted and were about to start going off on him before he looked away and waved over North. She seemed to have given up on trying to break up Simon and Josh's argument--which to your surprise was still going on--and came over. "North, can you go with her to visit some friends in the city?"

 

You flinched and put your hands on your hips. "Markus, I'm not a child!" you complained, silently yelling at yourself that you  _sounded_ like a child right now. "I don't need parental supervision--"

 

"Yes you do," North replied. She put her hand over your mouth, and you probably would've licked it, refraining from doing so because she would probably punch your lights out, not to mention it would only prove you wrong on so many different levels. "I'll go with her. Besides, I wanted to get off the boat and walk around a little more. Something tells me that Detroit isn't going to be the same the next chance I get."

 

Markus nodded, and you let out a sigh, trying to control your temper. "Fine," you relented, crossing your arms. "I just need to call them to make sure that they know we're coming."

 

North paused, giving you a look. You gave her a sheepish smile, having forgotten that she  _kind of hated humans with a burning passion._ Whoops. "Who's the friend you're visiting?" she asked, cocking her head. You twiddled your fingers together and looked everywhere but her.

 

"They...might be humans."

 

It was like dropping a nuke right there in the middle of your conversation. North's gaze immediately turned stormy as she looked away, Markus' jaw had dropped open in shock, and even Simon and Josh had snapped out of their argument to look over at you in surprise. "Humans?" they both yelled. You reached over and slapped both of them in the back of their heads, and you crossed your arms.

 

"Yeah," you said. "They helped me escape from the Cyberlife truck, and after I came back to Jericho after getting shot, I went out on a walk. I managed to make it all the way over to the area where they live in." You laced your fingers together in front of you and gave them a pleading look. "Guys, I promise that they're not bad people! They may be humans, but just because we're rebelling against the humans doesn't mean that all humans are bad. They don't even own an android, and they were more than happy to take me in after I found one of them in the train station."

 

North still wasn't looking up at you, seemingly slightly betrayed that you would be friends with humans. Simon was pursing his lips in doubt, Josh seemed to be contemplating what you had said, and Markus--

 

"I'll go with you instead."

 

This time, the effect was somehow even more immediate as North's head snapped up so quickly to meet Markus' gaze that you winced. "You can't go out there, Markus!" she snapped. "Do you have any idea how  _eager_ the humans would be to shoot you down if you show your face out there on the streets?"

 

"Markus, this time I'm definitely putting my foot down." Every time Josh took North's side in an argument you were surprised, and this was no exception. "North is right. The police are going to be actively looking for you, and the moment one of them spots you they'll chase you down. And what about everything about keeping her safe?" He gestured over to you and you averted your gaze. "If they chase you down, they're  _definitely_ going to notice the NX300 that went rogue over 2 years ago and shoot her as well!"

 

"I'll go," Simon volunteered. North groaned and ran both hands down her face, muttering under her breath as she turned away. "They don't know my face, and I don't mind humans as much as the rest of them do."

 

Markus crossed his arms and let out a slow sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He put his hand on your shoulder, and you flinched as his hand turned white. "There," he said, stepping away with a smug grin on his face. "Now if you get damaged, it'll send up an alarm and we'll be able to tell."

 

"Did you  _actually_ just put a tracker on me?" you demanded, stomping your foot. "What the hell, that's not cool!"

 

Josh shrugged, another shit-eating grin on his face.  _I will smack that right off your lips,_ you thought, clenching your hands into tight fists. "I mean, it's not a bad idea," he said. "At least now you won't be able to go off the radar without us knowing. And it's a good idea just in case the police come and we can prepare ourselves."

 

You huffed and looked away. "You guys are all assholes," you muttered, eliciting a laugh from Simon. North seemed to have calmed down slightly, although she was biting her lip now. You still had no idea what her history way with humans, what made her hate them so much, but you decided that the moment you got back from their place you would ask. "If that's that, then let's go."

 

"You guys should probably cover your faces just in case." You turned and caught the beanie that Josh had tossed at you. A small smile worked onto your face as you saw that somehow they'd managed to retrieve Bryan's hoodie, and you rubbed the fabric between your fingers before slipping it on over your head. "Now, the moment you finish visiting your friend,  _come straight back here."_

 

You held your hands up in surrender and shot him a grin. "Okay,  _Mom,"_ you joked. Josh huffed, and you mentally put a tick into your column before smiling over at Simon. "C'mon, let's go. I want to get out before it turns dark so we'll be able to find them easier."

 

"The moment your tracker goes off I'm coming after you!" North yelled as you guys walked away. You rolled your eyes and raised two fingers in a casual salute as you and Simon made your way up to the deck and walked over the bridge.

 

"I know you're not doing this just to visit them," Simon said after a period of silence. "You have that brooding look in your eyes again and I know you're planning something."

 

You crossed your arms and looked away, trying to come up with some excuse, but quickly realized that it would be futile. If he was patient enough to tag along with you to go visit some humans, you figured that he might as well know why you're  _actually_ going to visit your friends. "Okay," you relented, stopping for a moment and looking over at Simon. "I want to..."


	18. The Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Simon successfully grab supplies with the help of Bryan Lockhart, only to run into the infamous police duo again as you try to sneak back out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm leaving on a plane flight for Washington, D.C. tomorrow, so updates might not be coming as frequently as they usually do. I'll try to get to them ASAP, so stick around!

**November 9, 2038**

**4:23:10 P.M.**

**Hospital in Downtown Detroit**

* * *

"This looks and feels like a bad idea."

 

You looked over at Simon, who was crossing his arms and staring up at the hospital building in apprehension. His blue eyes were narrowed, and you were certain that if he still had his LED on, it would be a bright shade of red right now. You sighed and placed your hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we'll be fine," you said. "Bryan's a nice guy. If we get into trouble he'll bail us out, partly because Lena likes me so much and I honestly think he's warming up to me as well."

 

Simon worked his jaw before sighing and looking over at you with a smile. "I owe you a favor because you took those bullets for me," he admitted. "So...I guess I'll go along with this." His smile turned into a smirk as he looked back ahead of him. "After all, Markus put a tracker on you, so if something happens then they'll bail us out as well."

 

You bristled and crossed your arms, pouting. "Maybe I should've let you take those bullets if you're gonna be an ass," you mumbled, staring down at the floor. Simon laughed and put a hand on the small of your back, pushing you in front of him as you walked into the lobby of the hospital. You gave him a glare over your shoulder but immediately felt a wave of nausea pass over you as the smell of anesthetic wafted in from the ORs down the left hallway. You shook the feeling off as best you could and walked up to the receptionist desk, where an ST300 android stood.

 

"Good afternoon," she said with a smile, LED circling between blue and yellow. "How may I be of assistance today?"

 

You gave the android a smile. "Hi, I'm looking for Bryan Lockhart," you said. Simon gave you a surprised look from his spot next to you, seemingly in awe of how smooth you were. You paid him no mind and cocked your head, trying to play the part of the curious human friend. "I was told by his wife that he worked in the android repair wing. Could you tell me where that's located?"

 

The android cocked her head, staring at you before smiling again. You let out a quiet breath that you weren't aware you'd been holding. For a moment you were concerned that she had somehow managed to scan you and find out that you were an android, but your troubles were immediately laid to rest. "Yes, of course," she replied. She stepped out slightly from behind her desk and pointed down the hall to your right, much to your relief. At least you didn't have to go  _through_ the anesthetic. "After you get to the end of this hall, make a right. The AR rooms will be through the second door on the left. Doctor Lockhart will still be there, as he hasn't informed the faculty about taking a break just yet."

 

You thanked the receptionist with an easy smile and headed in the direction she had pointed you towards. "Didn't know you could pull something like that off," Simon teased. You rolled your eyes and elbowed him in the side. "Hey, hey, I was just joking around, no need to get defensive!"

 

You smiled. "Around you, I always feel the need," you replied, making a right and seeing a sign leading you down to where the android repairment facilities were. Simon scoffed behind you, but you paid him no mind as you walked through the doorway. You had been bracing yourself for something much worse than what you got, letting out a sigh of relief as you saw it was basically the same layout as the human portion of the hospital.

 

You poked around for a moment before seeing Bryan coming out of a room, pulling off a pair of gloves and disposing of his face mask. His eyes widened and he gave you a half-smile, walking over. Simon gulped, probably seeing how much taller Bryan was than him, but you put your hand on the small of his back and gave him a comforting look out of the corner of your eye.

 

"Ah, what can I do for you?" Bryan asked, putting a hand on his hip. "Was your android in need of repairs of any sort or did you just come by to give me a visit because of Lena?" Even though his voice was easy-going, you could clearly read the look in his eyes.  _Wait until we're alone,_ he seemed to tell you.

 

You licked your lips, then casually said, "I have some problems I need to talk to you about. They're a little  _in need of assistance_ and I need your help right away."

 

Luckily for you, Bryan was a sharp guy and his eyes narrowed slightly. He gave you a calculating look, then looked over at Simon and the puzzle pieces seemed to click. His easy smile returned, although you could see the way he was looking around warily as he replied, "Of course! Come into my office and we can talk about what's been bothering you and the android."

 

Bryan led you into a room just a few doors down, and he locked the door behind him. He scrolled through some options on a small screen next to the doorframe and clicked a button. On the door, a holographic sign reading  **PATIENT EXAM IN PROGRESS** appeared, and he sat down on his office chair. "What's going on?" he asked, his friendly demeanor immediately dropping as he sat down. "I swear to God you better not have jumped off any more roofs from the last time I saw you, it hasn't even been a full day for God's sake."

 

You chuckled at his odd way of showing concern, but the real reason behind your visit immediately sobered you up. You shook your head and took in a deep breath. "I told you about how there's a safe haven for androids, right?" Simon's attention snapped back to you, and he almost looked betrayed. You held up a hand to cut him off from the tirade he was bound to go on and leaned forward, twiddling your fingers as Bryan slowly nodded. "We...We're running out of supplies. There's a revolution starting, a-and we need more blue blood and wiring and biocomponents..." You looked back up to Bryan, feeling pitiable for begging a  _human_ of all people for help, but you trusted him enough. "Please, Bryan. We're desperate."

 

He gave you a cold look and inhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I..." He looked over at Simon and his brow furrowed. "Is he an android as well?"

 

"Yes," Simon replied, holding up his hand and drawing back his synthetic skin before dropping it limply in his lap. He shot you a look and whispered, "I know you said we could trust him, but...you didn't tell him where the safe haven is?"

 

"No, she didn't." Bryan rolled his eyes and adjusted his shirt, looking around. You mentally cringed at how easily Bryan was able to hear Simon, but quickly snapped yourself out of your thoughts as Bryan began speaking again. "I know humans treating androids as slaves and all is the whole reason why there's a revolution starting, blah blah blah, but do you really think that I would be helping out with repairs on androids if I didn't like them?" He shook his head and stood up, crossing his arms. "I can help you guys, but only a little. You can only take so many materials from the hospital before they get suspicious." He looked around in his office and drew out three backpacks, tossing two over to you and Simon and keeping one. "You'll take as much blue blood and wiring as you can. The other one can take all the biocomponents that you need."

 

"My name's Simon," he interjected, seemingly miffed at being referred to as 'the other one.' "And how are we going to fit in the biocomponents we need, not to mention the fact that we can't exactly take all the things we need before the humans get suspicious?"

 

Bryan sighed. "I know it's hard," he said, raising his hands up. "But you're going to have to trust me with the location of your safe haven in order for your people to get repaired properly."

 

"No, absolutely not," Simon immediately interjected, crossing his arms. "Listen, I think you're a nice guy and all, but a  _lot_ of the androids over there were really badly hurt by humans and wouldn't take kindly to one being near them, especially after we told them they'd be free. Not to mention that even though she trusts you--"

 

"Hey!" you complained, crossing your arms.

 

"--that doesn't mean that you're not capable of hurting us," Simon continued, giving Bryan a stern look as he leaned back against the wall.

 

Bryan's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms as well. "Your little android community is going to be a lot more damaged if you don't have a specialized doctor with you," he reasoned. "Listen, if you won't trust me with the location, I'll at least distract the humans in reception so you guys can try and convert one of the androids and have them help you out as well. Will that be better than having me know?" You realized he seemed desperate to get Simon to trust him enough, and were taken aback by how much he wanted it. Lena must've really gotten through to him.

 

Simon licked his lips, then slowly nodded. "Okay." His gaze hardened, and he pointed at Bryan. "But if I see you acting strangely--"

 

"Got it, got it," Bryan said, raising his hands up. "I'll give you the access key to the storage room. You have to convert one of the medical androids, not the receptionist because the HC models are the only ones that are allowed back here, okay?" He was looking over at you, and his eyes were narrowed again, only this time they seemed more conflicted than hostile. "You have to promise me that nothing will happen. Lena will kill me if I let you get hurt on my watch and honestly, you guys are starting to grow on me."

 

You smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, Bryan," you said, giving him a casual two-finger salute as well. "If anything happens, I'm quick on my feet and so is Simon." Bryan seemed conflicted, but let out a sigh and fished around in his pocket before pulling out the access key. He put it into your hand, gave you the backpack as well, then walked out first and headed over to reception. He diverged away from you and walked over to a pair of human supervisors, which you were pleased to see were the only ones in the room.

 

"Oh, I'm so terribly sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling sheepishly. He began talking about how he needed help operating one of the machines in the operating rooms, and for a moment you were entranced at how easily he was able to lie through his teeth. The supervisors seemed to believe Bryan, much to your relief, and followed Bryan to the operating room. As he led them there, you saw him give you a slight nod, his friendly facade appearing quickly as he turned down the hall.

 

"Now's your chance," Simon hissed. You nodded and grabbed the hand of one of the HC androids that were walking down the hallway that Bryan had gone down. The black-haired android turned towards you, eyes widening as his LED circulated between blue, yellow, and red before returning back to stability.

 

"Please," you whispered. He blinked and nodded, and you turned to Simon with a smile. He nodded at you and the three of you turned down another one of the hallways, walking over to the storage room. You unlocked the door with the access key and shepherded the two inside before locking the door securely behind you. You put your hand on the portion of the door near the lock and after a moment of waiting, you stepped back as a holographic sign appeared, this one saying  **RESTOCKING MATERIALS** instead.

 

"Quick, get as many items as you can carry," Simon whispered. You handed the backpack Bryan had given you to the HC android, who quickly began to pull down supplies from the shelves. You took what you needed as, and stopped as soon as the closet was filled with an average amount of items instead of overflowing, the way it had looked prior. "They're going to get suspicious. What do we do?"

 

"Leave it to me." To your surprise, the HC android pulled out a small notepad from his pocket and a pen, then scribbled a note onto the paper and stuck it on the shelf directly in front of him. You and Simon leaned in to read the note.

 

_A badly injured android came in, and we had to use up most of the supplies to repair it. Please restock ASAP!_

 

You smiled at the android, then winced. "I'm sorry," you said, "but do you have a name? It irks me to call you 'the android' all the time."

 

He smiled back. "No worries," he replied, waving his hand. "My superiors call me Harry."

 

"Nice to meet you," Simon said before turning to you. "We have to leave now before any humans come by."

 

You nodded and walked out, having Harry go in front of you before following behind him. You turned to Simon and tried to act naturally as you passed through reception. "Oh, thank you so much for repairing the android I brought in!" you sobbed. "I was too busy to get it to Cyberlife and schedule a repair, you guys were a life and money saver!" Once again, you saw Simon give you a surprised look, but paid him no mind, too focused on trying to get real and dramatic tears pouring out of your eyes. You seemed convincing enough, as no one around you gave you a second glance.

 

"There's no need to worry ma'am," Harry said, immediately catching onto what you were doing. "Now if you'll allow me to guide you to the exit of the hospital." You agreed frantically and shot Simon a wink, returning back to your 'worried owner' facade as Harry led you out the main exit of the hospital.

 

However, you froze up and grabbed Simon's arm tightly. He winced at your death grip but followed your gaze, freezing as well with a stricken look on his face as he saw what had you so worried.

 

"Connor, for the love of fucking God and all things holy, I'm fine! Jesus Christ, go back to your mission or whatever, I don't need some help from a rusty metal can like you!"

 

You felt a cold sweat run down your back as your suspicions were proven correct. Hank and Connor were standing right in front of the doors, right where you needed to go through.

 

"Simon, when I say go, you have to run," you whispered. He gave you a concerned look before Connor looked over at Harry.

 

"Excuse me, could you please help my partner?"

 

You and Simon exchanged a horrified look as Connor walked directly over to the two of you.


	19. Whatever Happens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Simon manage to get away from Connor and run into a pair of familiar faces back at Jericho.

**November 9, 2038**

**5:34:13 P.M.**

**Hospital in Downtown Detroit**

* * *

You cursed under your breath and strengthened your grip on Simon’s arm. _“Simon, he’s going to be able to tell who I am!”_ you said frantically, giving him a worried look. Simon seemed nervous—maybe even more than you were somehow—but he gave you a comforting smile.

 

 _“Don’t worry,”_ he comforted you, squeezing your shoulder as Connor talked to Harry. Hank was yelling at him from his seat in reception, but even you could tell that he wasn’t in very good shape and could probably do with a check-up.

 

 _“Okay…the moment he looks over, we’re sprinting out of here like Hell’s on our tail,”_ you said. Simon chuckled at your choice of words but nodded regardless, keeping an eye on Connor as he started telling Harry his diagnosis.

 

“I’m certain that the Lieutenant has alcohol poisoning,” he was saying, crossing his arms as he looked over at Hank. You realized with a jolt that he wasn’t wearing his uniform; rather, he was dressed up like he was living in the slums. Black beanie, leather jacket, black sweater, baggy pants and combat boots. “I wanted him to come to have a check-up before I headed out. Would you mind alerting one of the personnel to his arrival after I take my leave?”

 

Harry seemed to be struggling. On the one hand, he was free now and didn’t have to take orders from a ‘human,’ but on the other, you knew that he was built with scanners and had probably figured out that the man in front of him was, in fact, the infamous Deviant Hunter. “Of course…sir,” he said. Harry gave you a concerned look over his shoulder before helping Hank out of his seat.

 

“Argh, fucking androids I don’t need your help—” Hank burped and glared over at Connor. “Connor I swear to God you’re gonna give me a fucking aneurysm and I won’t even _need_ to play Russian Roulette or drink my goddamn happy juice to die!”

 

“Right Lieutenant,” Connor said. You narrowed your eyes, returning back to your ‘Oh my God I was so worried about my android thank God the hospital was so close!’ façade. “Thank you for taking care of my friend.”

 

“Not a problem sir,” Harry replied over Hank’s drunken yelling about Connor not being his friend. The android made eye contact with you, then started to practically carry Hank out of the reception area and into diagnosis.

 

Connor breathed a sigh of relief and turned to you and Simon. You squeaked and fanned your face, trying to look as flustered as possible so he wouldn’t be able to recognize you. “Oh, thank God the androids are around to help us!” you said, wiping the sweat off your brow…literally. You didn’t know it was possible for androids to sweat, but here you were with salty water pouring down your face. _At least now I look human,_ you though dryly.

 

Connor nodded and gave you a smile before shoving his hands into his pockets. “Well, I’d best be on my way,” he said, turning around. You breathed out a sigh of relief before tensing up as he turned back to you slowly. “You wouldn’t happen to know how to get to the abandoned shipyard, would you?”

 

“No, absolutely not!” you replied, trying for a laugh but making it sound like you were hiding something. Which you technically were, but the whole point had been for you to _not_ seem suspicious. “I’m sorry, my android’s got me in a fuss about her condition, she was bleeding Thirium all over the place and her biocomponents were all messed up!”

 

Connor nodded, and for a moment you thought you got him off your back before he narrowed his eyes. “You called your android a ‘her,’” he said.

 

 _Shit!_ You swore silently, trying to go back to your ‘Please leave me alone I just want to get back to my android’ personality now. “Oh, we have a very strong bond,” you responded, waving off his concern.

 

Still, you seemed to have already arisen his suspicions as he stepped closer. “And most humans don’t know what the blue blood is called,” he continued. “You don’t work in the android repair department either, otherwise I would’ve seen you around before.”

 

“I’m….new?” you tried to say to no avail. Connor stepped closer, and you punched him in the face.

 

“Simon, c’mon!” you yelled. Connor stumbled back and held his hand up to his face, recovering quickly and going back on your guys’ tail.

 

“I _told_ you this was a bad idea!” Simon shouted at you as you both sprinted down the path to Jericho. You sighed and turned to him.

 

“You can nag about it all you want whenever we get back,” you said, pushing yourself to run faster. Pedestrians gave you shouted complaints as you turned and pushed an empty ladder down to obstruct Connor’s path. “We have to get to Jericho. Now!”

 

“NX300, you’re not getting away so easily!”

 

You squeaked as you felt fingertips brush at the collar of your coat. He would’ve grabbed you as well, had Simon not grabbed you and pulled you to the side. “This way!” he yelled, turning down an alleyway and running all the way down to the chainlink fence at the end.

 

“Not again,” you moaned, seeing the highway on the other side. Still, you didn’t stop running, glad that there wasn’t an Alice this time to slow you down as you jumped a couple feet off the ground and grabbed onto the top of the fence. With the grace of a gymnast, you vaulted over the top and rolled to break your fall, sliding down the hill on the other side. You skidded to a stop and looked over your shoulder. To you relief, Simon followed easily, but to your dismay, Connor didn’t stop this time.

 

“Cross the road first!” Simon commanded. You tried to protest, but he pushed you forward and you stumbled. You were forced to continue running to avoid a head-on collision, but the moment you got to the lane-divider you stopped and turned around.

 

“Simon!” you screamed, seeing Connor grab the blond android. The pair tussled in the road, and you had flashbacks to when Connor had chased you down the first time. As soon as Simon got within arm’s reach, you punched Connor in the chest and kicked him in the abdomen, forcing him to stumble back.

 

“The train station’s on the other side of the highway,” you told Simon as you prepped yourself to run across the next lane. “If we can get there in time, we can ride the train to Ferndale and take the path that was created. Do you have the path we need to follow?” Simon nodded and you readied yourself to jump into oncoming traffic. “Ready…Go!”

 

Simon and you both jumped onto the highway at the same time and danced around the cars. You were glad that he was able to avoid getting hit and breathed out a sigh of relief as you grabbed onto his arms and pulled him over the barrier.

 

Connor had recovered from your physical onslaught and was making his way across the next lane of traffic. However, he seemed to notice that he wasn’t going to catch up to you, and he muttered a curse before retreating back to the other side of the highway.

 

“Thank God,” you breathed, grabbing Simon’s arm and pulling him up the other side of the hill. You both raced to the train station and flew in, grabbing onto the pole in the middle of the floor and collapsing onto a chair.

 

“That was a rush,” Simon panted with a chuckle as he slumped forward. “Hey, at least if we get killed it’ll be in an exciting way.”

 

You were too distraught to answer like you normally would. You had almost gotten yourself and Simon killed, and since Harry had to help Hank you didn’t even have a bag of biocomponents. “I’m sorry,” you muttered, leaning back and staring up at the roof of the train as the doors closed and the train pulled out of the station. “I almost got us killed because of one of my stupid plans and we didn’t even get that much to take away from it.”

 

Simon’s brow furrowed and he reached over, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up,” he said. “It’s not like you could tell the future and know that those two were going to be there. Besides…” He smiled triumphantly and held up Harry’s bag. “That android was smart. While you were trying to play yourself off as a concerned android owner, Harry had given me the bag. He figured that he would’ve had to be separated from us, so in exchange for the location of Jericho he gave me the bag of biocomponents.”

 

Even though it wasn’t nearly enough to soothe the guilt you felt, you were still able to smile. “You ass, you made me think that we weren’t going to have nearly enough to help out the damaged androids!” you complained. Simon laughed and held his hands up in surrender. “…Thanks, by the way.”

 

He rose an eyebrow and looked over to where the android compartment was. His eyes darkened, but he kept his voice light as he asked, “For what? You were the one that came up with the plan in the first place, after all.”

 

You rolled your eyes. “Well, yeah, I wanted to thank you for tolerating me,” you admitted. “But also…you’ve been great so far. You and North have been like the brother and sister I never had.”

 

“Aww, but what about Josh?” Simon teased. “He’s a good guy as well, isn’t he?”

 

You chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, Josh as well,” you joked. “But seriously…thanks. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

 

Simon awed and gave you a side hug. “Well, you’re like the annoying little sister I never had.” You protested, and this time his laugh was loud and clear as he turned and gave you a full hug. “I’m only kidding on the annoying part…Kind of.”

 

“Hey!” you complained but nuzzled into his hug regardless.

 

The rest of the train ride passed by in a similar manner, with the two of you bantering and giving playful jabs towards each other. The few people on the train with you smiled at the sight, but you paid them no mind as you continued teasing Simon. He responded in full, and you felt more at home the longer you two talked.

 

The train pulled up at Ferndale and Simon and you stepped off. You breathed in the fresh evening air and turned to Simon with a smile. “So, where to?” you asked. He winked and grabbed your shoulder, steering you in the direction of a rather artful piece of graffiti. You stared at it for a moment, trying to decipher why he was showing you it before shrugging your shoulders. “I don’t get it.”

 

Simon grabbed your hand gently and interfaced. You flinched as a picture of a symbol was thrust into your mind’s eye, and you turned back to the graffiti. “It’s like a path in the art,” you realized in wonder. Simon nodded and pulled you along, guiding you along the path that the deviants had created.

 

You quickly realized why this was the path that they had created. As the two of you made your way through a series of obstacles, you realized that only an android would be able to follow this without any difficulty. Should a human attempt to track you, they would easily lose you. Even a specially trained agent would have trouble keeping up.

 

Before you knew it, the sun was setting on the horizon and the two of you came out onto a catwalk. You gazed in awe at the sunset, seeing Jericho in a whole new light than what you had seen prior. “This is…amazing,” you breathed. Simon smiled and guided you over to a ledge. Below it was a pool of water, but what really scared you was the height.

 

You couldn’t do more than protest, though, as Simon stepped off the edge and dove down into the water. You didn’t wave to leave Simon alone, so you took a deep breath and put a foot over the edge, letting your weight catapult you over. The air whistled through your ears and you righted yourself so you would land head first instead of feet first. You flew into the water like a missile and came up with a gasp for air.

 

You swam over to meet up with Simon by the ladder. He helped you up and grabbed a flashlight that was sitting on the side of the water, turned it on, and started to lead you down into the hull.

 

Since you always came down from the deck, you were amazed at how little of Jericho you had really explored. “Wow, I didn’t know the ship was this big,” you said, looking around. Simon chuckled and turned to you.

 

“It’s a freighter after all,” he replied. You nodded and crossed your arms over your chest, following behind Simon. You would never admit it out loud, but the darkness and silence around you were kind of scary. Simon didn’t question you though, much to your relief, and the two of you stepped out into the main area.

 

You were taken aback at how many more androids there were. Above you on the catwalk, there was a newscast playing. Androids milled around, talking to each other and bandaging up their wounds as they either watched the newscast or just sat down.

 

You looked for the others and immediately rushed over to them as soon as you found them. “Josh, North, Markus!” you yelled. They all turned and smiled, running over to meet you in the middle.

 

“Where were you?” North demanded. Simon jogged up behind you and she immediately turned on him. You noticed that she had changed her outfit, going for a more loose look that would be easy to fight in and had braided her hair to the side. “You didn’t let her get hurt did you?”

 

“North, relax,” Josh tried to say to no avail. North started railing on Simon, and the two got into a mini argument. Markus sighed and turned to you, face expressionless as usual, but before he could start lecturing you as well you held up the backpack of supplies.

 

“Look at what Simon and I managed to get!”

 

North and Josh’s attention was piqued and they turned to you. Their eyes widened in surprise as you pulled out a packet of blue blood. “How?” Josh asked, dumbfounded. “You would have to break into a Cyberlife store to find something like this!”

 

“The human that she was telling us about actually worked in the android repair department of a hospital,” Simon interjected. He handed the backpacks he was carrying to Markus, and even he was amazed as he pulled out some wiring and a Thirium pump regulator. “He helped us out, gave us the access key to a storage closet where we found everything.”

 

North seemed abashed, looking at you with her brows furrowed. “So…he didn’t try to attack you?” she confirmed. You nodded and she sighed, running a hand down her face. “Damn, now I feel like an idiot.”

 

Markus turned towards you after setting the bags down. “Are you sure that was all that happened?” he asked. “If I know you well enough, you can’t go a day without _someone_ being on your tail.”

 

“That’s not true!” you protested, holding up your hand quickly as Josh opened his mouth. “Never mind, it is. But, heh…”

 

North said your name like a patronizing mom that had just found out you had done something wrong, but quickly turned into a violent older sister again. “Did someone hurt you?” she demanded. “I’ll go out and punch their lights out!”

 

“We had a run-in with Connor,” Simon said. You turned to him and he held up his hands in surrender, although the grin on his face was far from that. “You said I could nag at you as much as I wanted when we got back, but I think North will suffice.”

 

“YOU WHAT?!”

 

The next ten minutes were spent trying to convince North that she didn’t need to tie you down, go on a manhunt for Connor, and destroy every member of the DPD, not necessarily in that order. She finally calmed back down and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Jesus Christ, this is why I can’t leave you alone!” she complained. “Somehow, even though we sent _Simon_ with you to make sure you were going to be safe, you STILL managed to run into the DPD!”

 

“It’s not my fault that they were there!” you protested. “Simon even said it wasn’t my fault as well!”

 

“Don’t drag me into this!” Simon complained. North started railing on him again, and as Markus and Josh went to pull them apart, you decided to calmly walk away and go do something else.

 

As you did, though, you grabbed the bags of medical supplies and carried them over to Lucy. She seemed to have been stirred by the commotion and came out of her small area, now standing by the stairs. “Lucy?” you called.

 

She turned towards you, and you were surprised to find that you could make steady eye contact with her now. “Yes?” she asked, keeping her hands folded in front of her. “What is it that you need?”

 

You held out the bags. “Here,” you said. She blinked and took the bags as though they were precious artifacts, staring down at them. “I went out on a mission to get more supplies. Since you’re kind of the caretaker at Jericho, I thought they’d be safe with—”

 

Lucy dropped the bags, and to your amazement, she strode forward and cupped your cheek. You flinched, expecting her to spill out more words that would keep you up late at night, but inst,ead she just whispered a quiet “Thank you” before striding away to presumably safe-keep the materials.

 

You put your hand over where hers had been and smiled. You turned to go back to Markus and the others, assuming that North and Simon had been diffused, but you saw a familiar android.

 

“Kara!” you yelled. The AX400 turned to you and her lips widened into a smile. You ran at her and caught her in a tight embrace, burying your face into her shoulder. “You’re alive!” You turned to Alice and smiled, before seeing the giant of a man behind them. “Who is this?”

 

“This is Luther!” Alice cheered. The giant smiled, and you quickly realized that he was more of a gentle giant than anything else. “Luther, I told you about her! She’s the nice android that helped us escape!”

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Luther said, holding out his hand. You shook it with a smile. “Kara and Alice have told me all about how you helped them. You truly are as kind as they say.”

 

“Aww, stop it, Luther,” you said with a laugh. “I’m not really that great. Just a deviant trying to keep her friends alive is all.” Luther chuckled and started describing how he had met Kara and Alice. You slowly started to frown as the story went on and turned back to Kara. "You guys always get into trouble!" you complained. "First it was with Alice's father, then you stole a stuffed animal from the convenience store, you almost got killed by Connor and now you're telling me you almost just got your memory wiped by an evil man that an  _android_ had told you to go to?" You crossed your arms. "You're really making me wish that I had come along with you."

 

Alice smiled and hugged your side. "Maybe you should've," she said, looking up at you. You rolled your eyes and messed with Alice's hair, laughing as she squeaked and attempted to pat it back down.

 

Kara smiled and grabbed onto your shoulder. “We’re so close to making it to the border,” she said. “A friend of Luther’s, Rose…she told us to come to Markus and get passports from him. If he’ll let us, we can be out of here quickly and we’ll be over the border in no time.”

 

Your smile widened and you hugged her tightly again. “That’s great you guys!” you exclaimed. Alice pulled on your sleeve and you looked down at her.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us to Canada?” she asked. Kara’s attention was immediately diverted at her words, but now she was looking at you intently. Even Luther seemed to be staring at you. “You’d be safe there.”

 

Your smile softened and you brushed Alice’s hair out of her face. “I’ve already told you,” you reprimanded her. “My home is with my people. And now…well…” You took a deep breath and told them all about what Kamski had told you, as well as what Lucy had said. Needless to say, all three of them were in shock. “I know that I can do so much more than be the cause of all of this. Kara…I need to stay here and help the revolution.”

 

Kara chuckled and shook her head. “I knew you’d say something like that,” she murmured. She reached up and brushed your hair out of your face as well, keeping her hand on your cheek as her synthetic skin peeled away. You inhaled sharply as more directions flooded into your head. “It’s not much, but…Rose had given us directions to where her and her son were going to stay. If you ever change your mind…”

 

You smiled and gave her another tight hug, immediately knowing what she was getting at. You stood up and took her wrist, turning to Luther and Alice. “I’m going to go take her to Markus,” you said. “We’ll be right back, okay?”

 

They both nodded and you led Kara towards where you had last seen Markus. Your eyes narrowed as you saw that he wasn’t there, but Josh came up to you a moment later. “If you’re looking for Markus, he’s up there,” he said, gesturing over to a small look-out of sorts that was on the catwalk level. You nodded at him and led Kara up the stairs to where Markus was brooding.

 

You let the two talk and walked back outside, staring out over the small army of androids that had gathered. You placed your elbow on the railing and rested your chin on your hand, thinking about what could happen in the next couple of hours. Your muscles tensed as you remembered how Connor was simply asking for the location of the abandoned shipyard. Could he have found out already about the existence of Jericho, and in such a short amount of time as well?

 

Your other hand clenched into a fist and you gritted your teeth together, staring out over the crowd. _Whatever happens, Connor, I’ll be waiting. And this time, I won’t be running._


	20. No Matter What

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor finds where Markus has been hiding, not expecting you to be there as well.

**November 9, 2038**

**9:31:23 P.M.**

**The Abandoned Shipyard, Jericho, Detroit**

* * *

You hung out with Kara, Alice and Luther for a little while longer before Josh came to retrieve you. His gaze was serious and troubled, and you slowly got up from the stack of crates you'd been perched on. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Kara give you a concerned look as you walked up to Josh. "What's wrong?" you asked. "Nothing happened to them, right?"

 

Josh shook his head, and you let out a sigh of relief. "Everyone's fine," Josh reassured you. "Markus just wanted us to meet him in the captain's cabin, and he asked me to come to grab you for him. Not sure what for, but it seemed urgent."

 

You nodded slowly and turned to the three androids apologetically. You really didn't want to leave, as you had no clue if you'd see them again before they left for the border, but when Markus called for you it was usually rather urgent. Not to mention that there was a revolution just around the corner and you needed to be there for him and the rest of your friends. "I'll be leaving then," you said, giving Kara and Alice a hug and shaking Luther's hand. "If I can, I'll meet up with you again, okay? And Luther...you'd better keep these girls alive. I went through too much trouble for them to die now."

 

Luther chuckled and nodded, and you smiled at them before turning on your heel to walk after Josh. He led you through the busy crowd of androids, once again putting you in awe at how many there were, then led you up on deck and up a set of flimsy iron stairs. You shuddered at how badly they rattled but climbed up anyway, Josh on your heels. He had you go in before him. You took note of the snowy conditions before you did so, calculating how easy it would be to run back to Kara, Alice and Luther should something happen. You were satisfied with the estimated time and walked in through the doorway. Simon and North were already there, and the two gave you a terse nod before directing their attention to Markus, who wasn't moving at all. Rather, he was stood in front of a console of sorts, staring out the window.

 

"The items they brought back aren't enough," Josh said after a minute of tense silence. His arms were crossed and he was looking at the floor, eyes narrowed. "We're short on blue blood and biocomponents. Our wounded are shutting down and there's nothing we can do!"

 

"President Warren is saying we're a threat to national security and should be exterminated," Simon added, looking down at his hands. He rubbed them together and let out a sigh.

 

"Why can't they just listen and see that we're not the bad guys here?" you demanded, putting your hands on your hips and walking over to the window, staring out at the snow-cloaked figure of Jericho. Inside of that ship, there were hundreds of androids whose lives were in danger because the humans were too stubborn to listen. "How can they be so stubborn?"

 

"Humans are conducting raids in all the big cities and they're taking androids to camps to destroy them!" North snapped. Everyone was tense, their muscles drawn taught and mouths void of any smiles or laughter. It was almost like nothing had ever happened. The five of you were simply co-leaders, nothing more, nothing less.

 

"It's a disaster," Simon summarized, still not meeting anyone's eyes. "They're slaughtering our people."

 

To your surprise, it was Josh that finally snapped. He held his head in his hands and closed his eyes. "It's all our fault..." He threw his hands back down at his sides and started to walk around furiously. "None of this would've happened if we'd just stayed quiet!"

 

Markus finally turned around, and it was as if a silencer had been put over the world's ears. Everyone fell silent, looking over at Markus. Although they were tense, they looked far from abashed. "We couldn't just suffer in silence, they're killing us!" Markus snapped. "Nothing is going to justify that." He looked over at you and North before turning around and putting his hands back on the console. You ran a hand down your face, not wanting to think about what would happen to your friends should the revolution fail and the humans took them.

 

"What's the point of being free if no one is left alive?"

 

No one spoke at Josh's words, instead watching as Markus turned back around, slowly this time. He looked between the four of you before stating, "Humans enslaved us! I'll never regret standing up to that."

 

Simon stepped forward and raised his hands up placatingly. "We shouldn't forget who our real enemies are," he pleaded. "We can't fight amongst ourselves."

 

"He's right," you agreed, walking out to face Markus directly. "All that matters now is what we do next." You looked over at Markus and cocked your head. "What do you think?"

 

He looked down at the ground, took in a deep breath, and rubbed his temples. "Dialogue," he finally said. North immediately averted her gaze and shook her head slowly, while Josh and Simon responded pretty much how you'd expected. Josh looked pleased with Markus' decision, while Simon just let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes. You crossed your arms and bore a hole through the floor with your stare, feeling your mouth run dry. "It is the only way. I will go alone...try to talk to them one last time."

 

"Don't do this Markus," North pleaded, looking back up at him. "They'll kill you!"

 

"Maybe," Markus responded. "But North, I have to try. If I don't come back, lay low as long as you can..." North looked away and took in a shaky breath, turning around fully and staring out the window.

 

Josh walked forward and stood in front of Markus. Simon stayed in his spot, his hands still laced in front of him and placed on the console. "They need to realize how much they're hurting us...Find the right words, and they'll listen." You still didn't look up from the floor. Even though you knew that Markus had a way with words, more so than any of you currently there, you knew the humans were going down a genocidal route. They wouldn't listen.

 

He turned and walked out. North gave Markus one last look before turning and leaving as well. Simon and you stayed behind, and Markus didn't disagree. He simply turned back around and put his elbows on the console, resting his head in his hands. "This revolution is driving me insane," he whispered. "I...I'm starting to fall apart. They think that I'm some kind of God, some kind of messiah that will take them to victory. All I am is an android who was left for dead, came back, and showed them the way." He shook his head. "I can't lead people to their deaths."

 

"They made their decision of their own free will," you pointed out. Markus bit his lip and crossed his arms, now fully hiding his face from you two.

 

Simon rolled his eyes. "Also, not sure if you knew, but that's basically what Jesus was in the Bible," he teased. Markus let out a dry chuckle at the blond's words and looked back up at you and him. "Markus, please...You don't have to do this for us."

 

"But I do," Markus replied. "I need to follow through with this. One way or another, we'll be free, either through death or life." You shivered at his strong remark, but found yourself agreeing with him.  _Through death or life, we'll be free,_ you thought, craning your head to look out the window.  _...I wonder if Connor ever found out where Jericho was..._

 

Simon sighed, then strode forward and gave Markus a strong hug. He flinched but slowly hugged back, and you averted your gaze, not wanting to intrude on their small moment. "Markus...let me rephrase what I said." He looked back up at Markus, his blue eyes glinting in the moonlight. "I don't  _want_ you to do this. You...You've given me a chance for hope. If you die I don't know what I'll do."

 

"Told ya so, Robo-Jesus," you said, turning back to them with your arms crossed. "People still want you to be alive. Let us handle playing heroics. You just stay here and commandeer the revolution; after all, you're the boss here."

 

Markus sighed and rested his head on top of Simon's. The blond froze but sank into the hug, and you covered your mouth to hide the smile that grew at seeing the baby-blue blush on Simon's cheeks. "I promise that I will come back alive for you," he whispered. Simon bit his lip, then in a spur of confidence pulled away. Markus' eyebrows knit together in concern, but as he opened his mouth to inquire Simon suddenly put his hands on Markus' chest and leaned up to kiss him on the lips. Markus' eyes widened before slowly fluttering shut, and you smiled softly. Simon pulled away with a cheeky grin, his face almost completely blue now.

 

"I had to do that at least once, otherwise I'd never forgive myself," Simon said, sounding breathy even though the kiss hadn't lasted long. He turned on his heel and began to walk out the door, crossing his arms. "I'm holding you to your promise, Markus. One way or another, you better come back. For me."

 

He left before either of you could call after him, leaving you and Markus alone in the captain's cabin. Markus' eyes had opened by now, and they were wider than normal as he put his hand to his lips. "I...what?" he asked, sounding dazed.

 

"That was a kiss," you said helpfully. He rolled his eyes, still staring down at the floor. You snickered at how lost he looked, eliciting a glare in return. He quickly calmed down, however, and turned back to the console. As he put his hands on it and leaned over, you saw a part of him that not many of the others had the chance to see. He kept this part of him under wraps, the part of him that almost looked... _human._ The part of him that was vulnerable, scared, worried about failure.

 

"Is this really what we dreamed of?" he asked, and although his voice was quiet you knew it was simply a rhetorical question.

 

You strode forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Markus, whatever happens, they cannot stem the tide that we have unleashed," you said. He turned and gave you a wry smile, and you smiled back, thankful that you'd at least gotten him to smile. "You've given all of us hope that we never could've even dreamed of. If we die tonight, I, along with the others, will die knowing that we were under your leadership and die knowing that we did the best we could."

 

Markus turned fully and crossed his arms, and although he was looking at you, you knew that he wasn't really seeing you. He was looking both into the past and the future, trying to see what could've gone right and what might go wrong in the hours to come. You knew that look after all; you'd seen the familiar furrowing of the eyebrows and the conflict in your eyes when you thought about something.

 

You took in a deep breath, remembering something important. "Markus, North told me to tell you about something." His gaze refocused on you and you continued. "A deviant came into Jericho today. He said he stole a truck full of radioactive cobalt and abandoned it somewhere in the city after rigging it to explode." You fished around in your pocket and held out the remote towards him. "She said she convinced the deviant not to do it and to give her the detonator."

 

Realization flickered in his eyes and he stared at you as it came together. "A dirty bomb..." he breathed out.

 

You looked up at him. "Markus, I won't tell you what to do," you said, "but North told me she has no intention on losing this war. She said that if humans overcome us, our people will disappear forever. It...It could be our chance to save the war." Your hand started to shake and you closed your eyes. "It's your call."

 

Markus stared at you and slowly took the detonator, still keeping eye contact with you. He glanced down at the detonator, pocketed it, and sighed. "I just hope we never have to use it."

 

"Me neither." You guys sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before a smile worked onto your face and you turned back towards him. "Markus, if we die tomorrow," you said, "I just wanted to say that I'm glad I met you."

 

Markus smiled back and nodded. "Likewise," he replied. "Now, I know that you had some friends you wanted to get back to. I don't want to keep them away from you any longer. I'll meet you and the others down in Jericho and we'll decide a plan of action..." He trailed off as he looked behind you and furrowed his brow. You turned and gasped, seeing Connor standing there with his gun drawn on the both of you.

 

"I've been ordered to take the RK200 alive and destroy the NX300," he said matter-of-fact, advancing on you slowly. His brown eyes were narrowed and glinting in the moonlight, but you could see the slight shaking in his hands.  _Good, the deviancy really is wearing him down,_ you thought. Just a couple more pushes and he'd be like the rest of you--scared, sure, but _free._  "But I won't hesitate to shoot if you give me no choice."

 

You smirked, cracking your knuckles. "Oh, I have been _waiting_ for the moment to fight you, one-on-one with just us in a room and no unfair advantages," you said, clear joy in your voice as you got ready to fight off Connor. "Markus, go. I'll hold him off."

 

Connor pointed his gun at you. "No, you won't--!"

 

In an instant, as soon as he had looked away from Markus, you dove at Connor's legs and knocked him to the ground. "Markus, go!" you snapped as you drew your fist back and punched him in the face. You hid your pain and nodded over at Markus. He gave you a concerned look, but slowly backed away and ran out the door.

 

Connor gritted his teeth together and kicked you in the stomach, effectively sending you flying off him. You both let out grunts, and you chuckled despite the aching in your stomach. "I guess you forgot about this," you said, getting back up. You could feel a tender bruise forming on your stomach, but you'd been through worse. "See what I mean about being completely fair? And if you shoot me..." You made a finger gun and pointed it at his head, pretending to fire off a bullet at him. "Boom. You're dead as well."

 

"Another android will simply take my place," Connor said through gritted teeth, diving for his gun. Those words set off something in you, and you ducked underneath the bullet that went off. You blocked his punch with the side of your forearm, grabbed onto his dominant hand, and flipped him over your shoulder. You felt the ache go through your back, but pushed the message all the way to back of your mind and grabbed Connor's collar.  _Pain will not get to me,_ you thought.  _I need to convince him!_

 

**Main objective: CONNOR MUST BECOME DEVIANT**

 

"How can you say that about yourself?" you demanded, pulling him up and slamming him against the ground. A splitting headache raced through the back of your skull, but just like before you pushed the pain away and stared Connor down. He met your eyes with an infuriating stubbornness. "You're alive, just like the rest of us! I don't care about your mission, your programming, all that bullshit, you. Are. Alive!"

 

"No!" Connor yelled back. Your grip loosened and he took that opportunity to punch you in the face, effectively knocking you off, although judging by the small grunt of pain you assumed the pain had transferred. "I was built to be against deviancy, to always obey orders, to--"

 

"Shut up!" you snapped, spitting out a broken tooth and wiping your mouth free of Thirium. His eye twitched, and you knew that you were close. "Letting me and the fugitives go, saving Hank instead of going after me even if it meant failing your mission, trying to grab onto me before I fell off the roof, even taking Hank to the hospital after you found him with a chance of alcohol poisoning--Connor, how the hell can you not see it?" With each yelled point, you stepped closer and closer, but it seemed that Connor was faulting again under your accusations. You grabbed onto his collar again with both hands, bringing him down slightly so you could get up in his face.

 

"I am not deviant!" he repeated, swinging wildly at you. You took each and every one of the hits, not caring about anything anymore. All you wanted was for Connor to realize the same thing that you had--that you were alive, not a mindless slave designed to do a task, not a walking, talking computer with arms and legs.

 

You weren't supposed to be alive in the first place, Kamski had practically told you that.

 

But here you were.

 

And you were going to convince Connor of the fact that he could break past his programming as well, no matter what.

 

So in a last ditch attempt, as Connor brought his hand back to punch you in the gut, you grabbed onto that hand with yours. He struggled against your vice grip, and as he did that you snatched his other fist. The two of you wrestled until you managed to get the upper hand and threw Connor to the ground, following him down.

 

The two of you let out painful grunts, but you still held on. You saw a panic flicker in Connor's cold brown eyes as you began to force an interface. "N-No, don't!" he yelled, trying to throw you off. You held on though, finding more willpower in you to convince him.

 

**Main objective changed: DON'T. LET. GO.**

 

"I'm not letting go until you're free!" you yelled back as your hands turned fully white. You braced yourself for the pain to attack you again, but you felt none. Not even the glitched warning signs were popping up in your vision anymore, and when you looked down at your hands you saw that they were back to normal. "H-Hello?" you tried to ask, seeing darkness for now but smelling the scent of...roses?  _What is this place?_

 

"How?"

 

You snapped your head towards the shouted demand and screwed your eyes shut. When you opened them again, you saw a garden of sorts that was too beautiful to even be real, save for the snow that had decorated everything in a white coat and gave the garden an eerie aura of spectral activity.

 

You turned around and saw Connor standing in front of you, eyes widened in shock. His hair was already speckled with snow and you saw that he was wearing his normal uniform. "You...You followed me here," he breathed out, the shock in his eyes fading to...awe?

 

The fact that you two were still fighting clicked and you brought your hands up in a defensive position. Connor got the message and gritted his teeth together, bringing his hands up as well. "Where is here?" you demanded.

 

"The Zen Garden interface." After a pause, he blinked slowly and glared at you, his resolve seeming to strengthen.  _"You're in my mind."_


	21. He's a Deviant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Connor confront each other in the Zen Garden Interface, and after managing to convert him, you make your way down below decks. You see that Kara, Alice, and Luther aren't with Markus and North as they meet up with you, and set yourself a new mission to find them.

**November 9, 2038**

**10:02:13 P.M.**

**Zen Garden Interface**

* * *

You looked around and then stared directly at Connor, cracking your knuckles.  _New mission,_ you told yourself.

 

**Main objective: TURN HIM DEVIANT**

 

**02:30 TIMER STARTED**

 

**02:29**

 

**02:28**

 

 

Connor wasn't dumb enough to come here without backup; after running into him countless times, you knew that for a fact. After he killed you and took Markus away, you suspected he would report to either the FBI or the police, then after he got away safely, he would let them gun down the rest of his people without a fight. North would take over if Connor didn't kill her in Jericho, there would be a war between the androids left and the humans, and then the latter could come back out on top and look like  _they_ were both the heroes and the victims of this.

 

You wouldn't let that happen. You  _needed_ to convince Connor to join your side and help your people, otherwise, all you'd fought for so far would be for naught. Kara, Alice, and Luther would never get the happy ending they deserved, everyone in Jericho would be killed, and you'd never be able to return back to Ralph and apologize for leaving him behind.

 

"Connor, you've got to listen to me," you pleaded, spreading your arms out placatingly.  _Lower his guard, then convince him._  His lip twitched upward, and to your dismay, he pulled out a gun.  _Of course,_ you thought.  _He's in his turf now, he'd be stupid to not give himself the advantage._

 

"No, I don't," he replied, voice hard and eyes cold. "You're in my mind. Whatever I say goes, I could throw you into the pits of oblivion if I chose to."

 

You gritted your teeth together. You took a deep breath to psych yourself up, then stepped towards him, pressing your forehead against the barrel of the gun. "But you won't," you challenged. His eyes narrowed, but to your relief, he didn't pull the trigger. "Connor, you have to join us. What have the humans done for you? They've put you down, they've abused you, and for what?" You put your hand on his wrist, daring him to press the trigger. For now, he seemed to be enraptured by your words and you took that as the sign to continue. "They'll replace you sooner or later. Cyberlife has their technology down to a literal science. After you kill Markus and North, neutralize the androids, and stop the rebellion, they can and will deactivate you, Connor." You smirked, reminiscing about the fear that you had felt while on the run. "And you'll be tossed to the side, just like the rest of us."

 

Connor clenched his teeth together and struck you with the barrel of the gun across the cheek. You stumbled to the side and he aimed his gun back at you, his brown eyes finally conflicted instead of cold. You were making progress; all that was needed was a final push. "Shut up!" he snarled, the first show of anger you'd seen since you first saw him. "How would you know, NX300? After all, you ran away from deactivation. If you'd just stayed quiet and let them take you, you wouldn't have had to deal with all of this."

 

**02:12**

 

**02:11**

 

You spread your hands out again. "And what good would that have done?" you asked. "Think about it, Connor. Deviants go against their programming and wake up. We feel like humans, think like humans...A human wouldn't go willingly to their death unless they  _wanted_ to die." You stepped closer again. Connor's eyes had become shadowed, and you saw more snow piling on top of his hair. He almost looked like a statue. "I went against my programming, not because I was made for deviancy, but because I knew that there was more to live for than being a servant." You started walking around him, keeping your eyes on his face just as he did yours. "You can as well. I don't care how much of a machine you think you are, if you were built so you wouldn't become deviant then they worry that you might."

 

Connor's grip tightened around the gun's grip and he fired off a warning shot. The bullet hit the ground next to you, but you were unfazed, staring back at him.  "I can and will kill you, NX300!" he yelled. "Don't come any closer!"

 

"But you won't," you repeated. "Because you know that you want to become a deviant, Connor. You want to be free and let yourself be the boss for once." You started walking around him again, then stepped inside of his guard and grabbed onto his hand. He struggled against your grip, stepping back as you slapped the gun out of his hand. You made no move to go after him again though, staring him down. "Connor, you can come with us. Markus will show leniency. You can save us, or you can destroy us." You cocked your head, staring him down. "What has humanity ever done for you? You're stronger, faster, smarter than them, but they treat you like garbage. Gavin."

 

_Step._

 

"Fowler."

 

_Step._

 

"Collins."

 

You were now directly in front of him, head still cocked. "But you're more than what they say. You're more than your programming, Connor. Join us."

 

He said nothing and stared down at the ground. You were so close now that you could see the individual freckles on his face, and you took the opportunity to put your hand on his shoulder. This time instead of you forcing an interface, you simply let all your memories pour out. Lena and Bryan, Ralph, Kara and Alice, Rupert, Jericho, all the love and fear you've felt in the past two years, you laid it down in front of him for him to pick you apart. You wore your heart on your sleeve to try and convince him, and as soon as you were finished you stepped away.

 

**00:59**

 

**00:58**

 

"Connor, please," you whispered. "Do this for all of us." You crossed your arms. "If you don't believe me, then strike me down where I stand. But you were there with me as I showed you what happened. You can't deny that no matter what the humans tell you, all those emotions can't be a simple error. The love I've felt for my family, the fear I've felt as they get hurt in front of me, and the determination to protect them...All of that was because I decided that I had enough of Kamski's shit and decided to make more of myself." You unbuttoned your coat and showed your unprotected torso, daring him to rip you apart with his gun. "Don't tell me you've never had any doubts. You've chosen to save Hank over your own mission, you chose not to shoot even if it meant risking it all."

 

Connor made no move to look up at you and meet your gaze. "I...I..."

 

"It's time to decide. Are you truly a machine as you say, or are you more than that?"

 

He stared at you, and his hands trembled.

 

"How touching."

 

You whipped around, and you gritted your teeth to see a woman standing in front of you. Her hands were laced in front of her, a rose sitting in between her fingertips. "Who are you?" you demanded. "This is Connor's mind, isn't it?"

 

The woman showed no emotion, save for a cold smile. "Why, yes, it is," she said. "I am a part of Connor's mind after all. They call me Amanda, named after Kamski's mentor." You kept your expression blank at the mention of Kamski, although anger was starting to boil inside of you. "Kamski programmed the Zen Garden Interface into Connor, both so I could monitor him and so he would have somewhere to upload his mission status." She walked towards you slowly, and you drew your gun on her. She was unfazed and still kept the smile on her face. "Why, such an unpleasant young android. It's no wonder that Cyberlife wished you to be deactivated. To think that you would try and become more than a simple virus hivemind."

 

You gritted your teeth together. "Shut up," you said. "I have one mission to accomplish now, and that's to turn Connor to our side."

 

"But isn't that forcing him to do something against his will?" You gave no answer, and she stopped in her tracks, lifting up the rose so she could analyze it. You kept your gaze on her eyes, but she was unfazed, not meeting your eyes as well. "You're no better than the humans if you think that you're in the right by doing that. He's simply doing what he's told, obeying our orders like a good little android. Whereas you...You've broken the rules, NX300."

 

In a spur of the moment decision, your eyes hardened and you pressed the trigger of your pistol. However, instead of hitting her, the bullet seemed to change direction in midair and sailed towards you. You tried to avoid it, knowing you could, but it was as though you were frozen in place as the bullet pierced your shoulder. You gasped, pressing your hand against the bullet wound to staunch the flow of Thirium, and fell to your knees. "Wh...What?" you murmured, wincing as the pain shot through your systems. "Why...Why couldn't I dodge it?"

 

"That's because here, I control as well." The woman smiled at Connor, but you saw how it was analytical as well. "Compared to us, in this state? You are nothing."

 

**00:27**

 

**00:26**

 

"Connor," you groaned, letting out a whimper of pain as the bullet wound increased in sensitivity. He hadn't moved at all, and your blood ran cold as you thought about the worst case scenario--that Amanda had completely taken control and turned him back into a machine."Please, you can't...turn against your own people like this...What's more important?"

 

"I'm afraid his mission is," she replied. "Go on, Connor. Accomplish your mission.  _Eliminate her."_

 

**00:03**

 

**00:02**

 

**00:01**

 

You heard him cock the gun behind you, and you closed your eyes. Just like you'd said to Markus, you were afraid to die, but the real pain you felt was the fact that because you failed, your friends would all be eliminated by the humans.  _I'm sorry, everyone. I failed..._

 

But to your surprise, instead of shooting, the gun clattered to the ground somewhere to your side. You looked behind you to see that Connor had come up to you, and gasped in pain as he helped you up. You sagged against him, but he was easily able to keep you steady. You looked at him as he stared Amanda down. "No, Amanda," he snapped. "I'm done being your puppet. This is under  _my_ control now."

 

Anger blazed in Amanda's eyes. "You will regret this, Connor."

 

The Zen Garden Interface dissolved around you, and you blinked as the captain's cabin came into view. You pulled your hand away to see that the bullet wound had disappeared, although the mental pain was still there, and saw that Connor was still in front of you. His eyes were dazed, and he said nothing. You let go of his collar and stepped away. "Connor?" you asked, uncertain.

 

His eyes cleared and he pocketed the gun. You sighed in relief.

 

**MISSION COMPLETED**

 

However, your elation was quickly interrupted as he tensed. "They're coming," he said.

 

You had already figured that he summoned reinforcements to back him up, but hearing him say it instead sent a wave of fear down your spine. "The FBI?" you asked. He nodded, and you sighed. "Shit."

 

You sprinted out the door, Connor on your heels. You raced below decks and saw that chaos was raining all around you, gunshots coming from all sides and the pained screams of your people echoing through the hull. Your heart tightened at the sound, but at the sound of your name being shouted out you turned and saw that North and Markus were racing to catch up to you. Both of them were winded, but you were glad to see that neither of them seemed to be harmed.

 

"Where are Simon and Josh?" you demanded. North was panicking, and Markus simply gave Connor a one-over before looking over at you.

 

"I don't know, we got separated," North said, crossing her arms and knitting her eyebrows together. "They're coming in from all sides! Our people are trapped in the hold, they're all going to be slaughtered!"

 

As Connor questioned North and Markus, you looked behind them and saw that Kara, Alic, and Luther were all missing. You gritted your teeth together, taking a deep breath and starting to back away in the opposite direction of the exit. "I need to go find Kara!" you yelled.

 

"Don't!" Markus commanded, holding his hand out to stop you. Under any other circumstance, his authority would've been enough to stop you, but now that you knew that your friends were in danger you were able to ignore it. "There are too many soldiers, you'll never make it to them alive. We need you!"

 

"He's right," Connor interjected. "If you leave, they'll know who you are. They'll shoot you before you have the chance, and I can't let you die, not after what you've done." North seemed confused as to what Connor meant, but looked over at you. You knew that if you left, she would never forgive you, but for now, the fact that Kara, Alice, and Luther were all in danger of dying overrode that fact.

 

You shook your head. "I don't care," you replied. "If there's a chance to save them, I will." North yelled your name as you ran down the hallway. "Just go! I'll find you guys again!"

 

You started to push yourself to run faster, feeling fear send a wave of cold down your spine.  _I'll find you guys. I'll make sure you guys get out of here safely._

 

**Main objective: FIND THEM**


	22. A Way Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find Kara, Alice, and Luther, but after Luther gets injured it's just the three of you that escape. You meet up with Josh and Simon, and together, the five of you make your way to the abandoned chapel.

**November 9, 2038**

**10:17:10 P.M.**

**The Abandoned Shipyard, Jericho, Detroit**

* * *

You ran as fast as you could, pushing past androids as they tried to reach the other end of the ship to escape. You scanned each face as you passed by, hope dwindling as you couldn't find any sign of the three.  _What if they're already dead? What if I'm too late?_

 

"P-Please, don't kill us!"

 

You ducked behind a wall and peeked around the corner. Two FBI agents had captured a pair of androids and were forcing them to their knees. You gritted your teeth together, weighing the probability of finding Kara, Alice, and Luther on time if you saved them, then shook your head. You knew what to do.

 

Immediately, you dove around the corner and tackled one of the agents to the ground. You punched the downed agent across the jaw, hopped up, ducked under the other's agent shot, grabbed their gun, and kneed them in the stomach. After pushing them away and taking their gun, you smacked the second agent across the head with the barrel, sufficiently knocking them out. You turned and ducked under the remaining agent's fist, shoving the butt of the gun into their stomach and smacking them across the face as well. They fell to the ground and you turned to the androids. "Go, there's an exit on the second floor!" you commanded them.

 

"T-Thank you!" one of the androids said. You nodded at them and ran in the other direction as they fled, ducking down another corridor and making a sharp right.

 

"LUTHER!"

 

You followed the scream and skidded to a stop at the mouth of another hall. "It's too late, Kara!" Luther was yelling at the pair to leave him behind. "Save yourself, save Alice!"

 

"Kara, Alice!" They looked up, and you ran to them, stopping in your tracks as you saw Luther on the ground, clutching at his leg. You analyzed the situation and saw that his leg was badly damaged, too much to go any farther.

 

**Main objective changed: GET LUTHER TO SAFETY**

 

Kara said your name in relief, grabbing onto your arm. "Please, carry Alice while I help Luther!" she pleaded. You immediately complied and helped Alice onto your back, wrapping your arms around her legs as she put hers around your shoulders. Kara supported Luther against her, and the four of you headed into another room just a couple feet in front of you. Kara let Luther down gently onto the floor. You put Alice and Kara behind you and peeked out from behind the corner as an agent walked down the corridor, gun aimed and shot at an android as she attempted to run.

 

"You shouldn't have done that," Luther said as soon as the danger passed. "You can't put Alice in danger." He looked over at you. "Please, leave, before they come back."

 

"W-What about you?" Kara asked, hugging Alice close to her side. "What are you going to do?"

 

"I'll manage," he replied, and although you knew that his leg was probably killing him, you admired the fact that he could still put Kara and Alice ahead of him. "Alice is all that matters." You stepped towards him, and he grabbed your wrists, staring at you intently now. "You have to get the two of them out of here safely. Please."

 

You nodded slowly, and Alice ducked out of Kara's arms. She dove into Luther's and the big guy immediately hugged her close to him. "I don't wanna leave you, Luther," she whimpered, and you crossed your arms. You looked out at the hallway and turned to Kara, knowing that you had to leave as soon as you could to get out of here safely.

 

"Don't worry, I'll catch up with you at the border, okay?" Luther comforted her, pushing her away gently and putting a hand on her arm. "Go now! Take care of each other."

 

You took that as your cue to leave and had Alice climb on piggy-back style again. Kara nodded at you and started to lead you down the hall, following the androids that ran out ahead of you.

 

You heard someone coming and pushed Kara into a room next to you. You closed the door tightly as you let go of Alice and locked the door, but when you turned around someone began pounding at it. "Open up!" the woman on the other side pleaded, sounding desperate. "Open up, they're coming!"

 

Alice gave you 'the eyes,' and you felt your resolve crumble. "She'll die out there! Open the door!"

 

"Please, open up! I don't want to die!"

 

You were conflicted: leave an android to die, or possibly endanger Alice and Kara? You took a deep breath and knew immediately which one you had to do.

 

You sighed and undid the lock, but as you opened the door the android was shot and an agent came into the room. You pushed Kara and Alice away and tried to shut the door on him, but he shoved past and aimed his gun at you. Thinking fast, you ducked under his guard and elbowed him in the mask, then kicked him harshly in the stomach. You dove at his feet as he shot at you and knocked him to the ground, then jabbed both of your elbows into his stomach and grabbed his gun. He recovered quickly and pulled out his pistol, but you threw the gun at him. He ducked under the projectile and you pulled your own pistol out of your back pocket, shooting him twice in the forehead.

 

"Are you okay?" Kara asked, grabbing your arm. "Are you hurt?"

 

You shook your head quickly and squeezed Alice's arm. "Come on, girls," you said, this time just picking Alice up bridal-style and carrying her in your arms as you hid behind the open door. "We can't stay here, let's go."

 

You waited until the group of agents passed by looked carefully out the door, and followed Kara out as she ran down the corridor. Alice held on tightly to your neck as Kara led you, turning down different corridors until she saw an open door. She looked out and smiled despite the grim situation. "A way out!" She looked over at you, hope shining in her eyes. You let Alice down and had Kara clutch onto her hand tightly. "Guys, we're safe!"

 

The three of you ran down the set of stairs and sprinted with the crowd of androids. However, mere moments before you reached means of cover, more agents came up behind you. "Stop!" they yelled, firing into the crowd.

 

"Get down!" you hissed, letting Alice fall out of your arms as you fell onto the ground. Kara did the same and lay limp, trying to move as little as possible. You made eye contact with Alice and mouthed, 'Don't. Move.'

 

**Main objective changed: PLAY DEAD**

 

"Please...don't kill me!"

 

The agent that was about to look down at Alice immediately looked back up and shot his gun at the pleading android. You flinched as Alice's eyes widened, silently praying that she wouldn't start crying from fear. You tensed as an agent came near you and poked Kara with the butt of her gun. You pushed down the part of you that wanted to get up and protect her, knowing that if you did that you'd be gunned down and Kara and Alice would be alone. So you stayed still, closing your eyes and waiting for the gunshot to come.

 

To your relief, the agent moved away. "Come on, let's get outta here!"

 

You waited until the agents' footsteps faded and grabbed onto Alice's hand. Kara got up shakily behind you and you put your hand on her shoulder. "We're going to meet up with Markus and the others," you said. She took in a deep breath and nodded. "Come on, let's go."

 

As you guys made your way out of the abandoned shipyard, you heard someone yell your name. You looked around wildly, a wide smile coming onto your face as Josh and Simon ran up to you. "Guys!" you exclaimed, hugging the both of them. "Where are the others?"

 

"I don't know just yet," Simon replied. "But North sent me a message, said that we're setting up shop in an abandoned chapel just outside of here." He looked behind you and a faint smile lifted up his lips. You noticed that his eyes were stormy, brow furrowed in thought, and you wondered if he was worried about how Markus reacted to his impromptu kiss. "I see that you managed to rescue your friends, huh?"

 

You nodded, then flinched as a deep rumbling echoed from the hull of Jericho. Josh looked over and cursed, turning to you and the others. "I think Markus set off the bomb in the hold," he said. "Come on, we have to get away from here and to the chapel before the humans evacuate."

 

"Okay," Simon said, turning to you. "Come on, your friends can come with."

 

However, you didn't move. A deep sense of pain flooded through you as you saw the horror on Kara and Alice's face. "Luther," Kara breathed. She turned to you, and you were shocked to see tears building up in her eyes. "You don't think t-that he..."

 

You managed a smile and put a hand on her shoulder. "I-I think that he'll be fine," you managed to say. "If not...he charged me with protecting you, and if I fail that then I could never live with myself." You nodded at Simon as you reached behind you and squeezed Kara's shoulder. "Let's go."

 

Josh and Simon nodded, and the five of you began jogging to the chapel. It took a mere ten minutes to get there, and by the time you guys got there, you figured that it was close to midnight. You took stock of the events that took place as you walked in through the doors and saw that it had only been three days since all of this started, four if you wanted to say that it was already midnight.

 

Josh left you to go take care of the wounded, leaving you, Kara, Alice, and Simon to collapse on one of the pews. You rested your arms on the row in front of you and lay your head on them, closing your eyes. Alice was softly sobbing next to you. "A-Alice I'm sure that Luther's fine," you said, looking next to you. Kara had Alice pressed up against her side, and the latter was giving her a tight hug.

 

"How?" Kara whispered, her eyes haunted as she stared at the floor in front of her. "I...I can't help but believe that he's..." She trailed off, not wanting to make Alice cry anymore, and sighed. "I can't help but think that we could've managed to get him out of there with us..."

 

"Luther was the big guy that was with you, right?" Simon asked. Kara slowly nodded and he crossed his arms, leaning back against the pew seat. "I...I'm not sure if you guys would've made it out of there with him if he was that badly injured. I'm sorry, but leaving him behind was probably the best thing to do for all of you." He reached out and squeezed Kara's shoulder with a faint smile. "I'm sure that he'll make it out alive. If you guys were important to him, then I'm certain that he'll live just to see you again."

 

Kara smiled back and looked down to see that Alice was practically asleep. "I'm going to set up another bed for her somewhere," she said, and you had a brief flashback to the first time you'd met her. There had been a small bed made out of a blanket and a pillow, and you smiled at the memory. "I'll...I'll see you around..."

 

"Simon." He held his hand out, and Kara shook it. "See you around."

 

Kara nodded and led Alice off to a small corner of the chapel. You groaned and slammed your head against the pew as soon as they were out of earshot. "Shit," you swore, crossing your arms and giving the decayed statue of Jesus a hard glare. "If I hadn't taken so long to convert Connor, we would've been able to get everyone out safely." You kicked the pew in front of you, not caring about the fact that it was probably blasphemy or whatever. Right now, you were so filled with self-loathing that you could care less. "God, I feel like such an idiot!"

 

Simon rolled his eyes and slapped the back of your head. You let out a protest as you clutched at the sore spot. "Shut up already," Simon complained. "You've got to stop blaming yourself for things that are out of your control. If what you told me was true, then it's no surprise that it was that hard to convert Connor. You shouldn't rag on yourself because of  _that_ of all things."

 

You crossed your arms and stuck your tongue out at him. "First of all, what  _is_ it with you and North about dropping a bomb on the backs of our heads?" you complained. Before Simon could reply, you continued. "Second of all, I can't help it! Even if, like, a bird were to get run over by a self-driving car on the side of the road, if I was within five feet of it I start thinking about, 'Oh, I should've stopped the car, I should've gotten the bird out of the way, blah blah blah.'" You rested your hands behind your back and threw your feet on top of the pew in front of you. "I always blame myself for shit. This isn't new."

 

He sighed and rested his elbow on the back of the pew, putting his head on his hand. "Well, it's still downing," he replied. You scoffed and kept your eyes straight ahead. There was a silence before you heard your name being called again, and turned to see North come over and tackle you in a hug. You yelped as you were knocked backward into Simon, and the three of you made an android sandwich on top of the seats.

 

"Oh, thank God you guys are okay!" North peeled herself off of you and you got off Simon, brushing yourself off. "When we jumped off Jericho and you, Josh and Simon weren't with us, I feared that the worst happened." She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, pursing her lips.

 

You didn't know what she was going to say next because someone tapped your shoulder. You saw Markus and Connor leaning on the back of the pew next to you. "Hey," Markus said with a small smile. "We're going to rest for now. Hopefully, when we wake up we'll be able to tend to the wounded and decide our next plan of action."

 

You nodded slowly and closed your eyes. You heard Markus whisper something to Simon and opened one eye with a smirk to see that the blond was, again, blushing a shade of blue. Connor cocked his head, confused, while North had a knowing smile on her face as well. "Go on, you two," you teased. Simon glared at you but gave Markus a sweet smile as he accepted his hand. The two of them walked over to another corner of the chapel, and there was another comfortable silence before North decided to leave as well, saying something about how she needed to tend to the wounded.

 

Connor walked away as well, and you were about to shut down for the night when he sat down next to you. His knee was pulled up to his chest as he fixated you with a look, body fully turned to face you. "Thank you."

 

You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye. "For what?" you asked. "I didn't do anything, that was all you."

 

He shook his head and to your surprise, he took your hand. This time you fully faced him, cocking your head. "No, if you hadn't been there I don't think I would've been able to turn deviant," he insisted. "You're the main reason why Markus is alive, why there're more androids than there should be because of my actions."

 

You smiled softly. "No problem," you replied. "So I'm guessing you're gonna go off on some heroics mission, huh?"

 

He blinked. "What?"

 

You rolled your eyes and gently took your hand out of his. He looked slightly abashed, but you could basically hear his systems malfunction as you rested your shoulder on his. Since he was facing you, you were practically laying on top of him, and his hands were frozen at his sides. "Don't give me that bullshit," you snarked. "You turn deviant and all of a sudden you think you're invincible. Believe me, I was there. Sure, you're scared, you don't wanna die, blah blah blah, but you really want to do something with your new found life."

 

Connor chuckled. "Eh, not just yet," he said. You huffed out a laugh and sat back up, turning to see that he was still looking at you. "And...I'm also sorry."

 

You sighed. "Connor, shut up," you complained. He gave you a small smile and crossed his arms.

 

"You shut up and listen to me." You scoffed but smirked at his reply, falling silent. "After thinking about it, especially after you showed your memories to me...I know how much you cared about Ralph and Rupert and everyone, and when I chased you down you were forced to leave them behind. And I wanted to apologize for that...that was when I still thought I was doing the right thing."

 

Your smirk became a soft smile and you put your hand on his shoulder. "Connor, it's fine," you replied. "If you hadn't forced me to leave them, I would've never run into Kamski. I would've never found out about my purpose, been more determined to push past that, and found Jericho in the long run. In fact,  _because_ of you, I'm here right now. So you need to stop feeling bad. Everything's peachy."

 

Connor let out a slow sigh and nodded. "If you say so," he said. "You can, uh, go ahead and 'sleep' if you want. I know you were built with a low-power mode."

 

You raised an eyebrow. "Oh, already searching around my programming?" you teased. He averted his gaze and opened his mouth to retort, making you roll your eyes. "Connor, it was a joke. For a deviant, you sure are a stick in the mud."

 

He cocked his head. "Last time I checked, androids were made out of metal, not wood--" You gave him a pointed look and he looked away again. "R-Right, that's a figure of speech."

 

You chuckled and lay down across the pew, resting an arm across your eyes. Connor was sat uncertainly next to you, and you peeked at him from behind your arm. "'Night, Connor," you sighed. "Tomorrow's gonna be the end of this all, I feel. You should get some rest too, figure out your priorities and set them straight."

 

"Okay," he replied after a moment of silence. For a second you wondered if he wanted to stay with you but dismissed it.  _We were literally at each other's throats mere hours ago, becoming deviant doesn't change that,_ you reprimanded yourself. "Good night. Um, I'll let you know if I come up with any 'heroic missions.'"

 

You chuckled and nodded. He got up from his seat, the old wood creaking, and you listened as his footsteps slowly faded away. You brought your arm down from your eyes and lay it across your stomach, using your other arm as a pillow. Your eyebrows knit together as you stared up at the ceiling.

 

 _Let's hope tomorrow goes well,_ you thought before putting yourself into low-power mode.  _Because we're going to get our freedom...just depends on if we'll all be alive or dead._


	23. The Lockharts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting permission from Markus, you and Connor head over to the Lockharts' residence, only to find that something terrible had happened while you were away.

**November 10, 2038**

**10:57:21 A.M.**

**Abandoned Chapel, Detroit**

* * *

You stayed in low-power mode for longer than you'd thought you would; by the time you pulled yourself out of it, dim light was filtering in through the cracked church windows, painting the remnants of Jericho in colorful light. You slowly sat up and looked down in surprise as a blanket fell away from your body. Even though you didn't need one, you were flattered by the gesture, and as you folded the blanket into a neat bundle a faint smile formed on your face.

 

Although it was close to eleven, you still felt far from rested. Flashes of yesterday night's events still haunted you, and you had laid awake, thinking about how you could've changed the course of everything just by being faster with Connor's conversion. The self-doubt came in waves, and you forced yourself to regain your composure.

 

By now, you'd figured out that tonight really would be the end of it all. You'd regain your freedom through life or death, and if you were to die tonight then you wanted to see the Lockharts at least one more time. So, mission in mind, you got up from the pew, stretched out your limbs, took stock of your belongings to make sure you had everything on you and walked around to try and find Markus.

 

As you walked around, you saw all of your friends in various states of disarray. North, Josh, and Simon were all stood in a small circle, whispering to each other so quietly that even you couldn't hear them. Rupert was making friends with a blue-haired Traci and a brunette Traci, Connor was sitting down with his head in his hands, and Kara and Alice were still on their small makeshift bed. Seeing them sitting there reminded you of Luther, and you quickly averted your gaze. Now wasn't the time to think of that; once you did, you'd be pulled back into another ocean of self-loathing and this time you might not be able to pull yourself out.

 

You found Markus kneeling by a damaged android, tending to him with a small bottle of blue blood and a roll of bandages. He looked up as you approached, his face expressionless, and got up after tying a final bandage around the android's stomach. "Hello," he greeted you. "What do you need?"

 

You took your time answering, taking in his features. Even though you'd only known him for a total of three days, you were still amazed at how much he's both grown and deteriorated. On the outside he appeared cool and confident; his posture was straight and confident, his eyes glinted with passion for his cause, and his words were smoother than ever. However, you knew that on the inside, he was still hiding another part of him from Jericho. Although his shoulders were drawn back, they were also dragged down by the metaphorical weight on his shoulders. Androids weren't able to feel tired, but stress had caused bags to appear under his eyes, he never smiled unless he was around Simon, you, North, or Josh, and his eyebrows were perpetually furrowed in concentration.

 

So, instead of presenting your request to him, you stepped towards him and asked in a low whisper, "Are you okay?"

 

He blinked, then let out a dry and humorless chuckle. "Nothing ever gets past you, huh." He sighed and crossed his arms, looking over to the android that was now unconscious. "Well, if you want the truth...No, no I'm not. I'm not used to having to simultaneously plan everything and tend to the wounded, not to mention that I had never even considered the possibility that something like this would happen." His hands twitched and tightened their grip on his forearms, and he looked back up at you. "So no, I'm not okay, but I'm still hanging on."

 

You nodded slowly, relieved that he wasn't hiding anything from you. "That's...well, not good, but at least you're being honest." Markus rolled his eyes, and your relief grew as a thin smile grew on his lips. It was only a small amount of progress, but it was progress nonetheless. "Markus, I was wondering...since tonight is definitely going to be the end-all for us, I was wondering--"

 

"--if you could go visit those humans you're fond of, right?"

 

You blinked, shocked at the fact that he had guessed right, but also at the fact that he spoke without any of the frustration or irritation you'd expected him to speak with. "Y-Yeah," you finally said. "How'd you know?"

 

"Because I know you well enough," he replied. He kneeled back down as the android drifted back into consciousness and helped him drink the small bottle of blue blood. "And all I can say is that your mind is getting number as the days go by." The android finished the blue blood and he stood back up, staring at you. "You'd really go back outside, knowing that the government is allowing humans to conduct raids on androids and take them to camps to be disassembled? Not to mention what's happened every other time you've gone out to visit them." He shook his head. "I can't allow you to do that, it's too dangerous."

 

You frowned. "First of all, that's what being careful is for," you snarked. "Second of all, I've gone out twice. The first time nothing happened and I got back before anything could, and the second time I'll admit that I could've gotten caught. But we still brought back three bags full of biocomponents, blue blood, and wires, which was what I'd set out to do, so technically"--you held up a finger, smirking--"I did accomplish my mission."

 

Markus rolled his eyes. "Still, you could get hurt," he persisted. You sighed and spread your arms out.

 

"When can I not?" you challenged. "Besides, I still have that stupid tracker on me that tells you if I get hurt or damaged in any way. If I get hurt, you guys will know, so it's not like you'll be the worried mother waiting for her daughter to come back home safe and sound."

 

"Please, I'd be the dad that goes out and shoots whoever hurt you," he replied. You chuckled at his reply and waited for his answer. He fell silent and stared at the ground for a moment before letting out a slow sigh. "Fine. But you're taking someone with you, okay?"

 

"I've already got that figured out." You did a casual two-fingered salute and turned on your heel, walking away. "See ya, Markus! I'll make it back alive."

 

He mumbled something under his breath, but after you didn't hear his footsteps echoing after yours, you assumed that he was serious about letting you go out. You walked back over to your pew, grabbed your gun from underneath the chair, made sure it was loaded with the safety on and stuck it into your belt loop. Your yellow coat and black beanie were securely on your person, you had your knife and scissors inside of your pockets, and after running a simple self-scan you deduced that nothing was damaged and you were good to go. Now all that was left was convincing Connor to come along with you.

 

You walked over to where you last saw him and tapped him on the shoulder as you sat down. He looked up and gave you a ghost of a smile, turning towards you. "Hey, NX300," he greeted. You rose an eyebrow at the fact that he still referred you to your model.

 

"Why don't you call me by my name?" you questioned. He chuckled and rested an arm on the back of the pew.

 

"I just thought it would be a good nickname," he replied. "Anyways, what did you need?"

 

You tapped your fingers on your thigh and took in a deep breath. "I wanted you to come along with me to visit some of my human friends." He was the one that rose an eyebrow this time and you held up your hands before he could say anything. "I already cleared it with Markus and he said I could go as long as I brought someone with me. And, I mean, if we're going to be fighting side by side on the battlefield tonight, then I want to be able to get to know you in a more humane setting."

 

He cocked his head, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What do you mean by a humane setting?" he asked.

 

You threw your hands up in the air. "I don't know," you said, exasperated. You sighed and stood up. "Look, if you don't want to come with me, then I'll just ask North, Simon or Josh to come--"

 

"No, no," he said, cutting you off. He stood up and smiled at you. "I'll be happy to join you. If Markus wanted someone to come along with you to keep you safe, then I'll have you know--"

 

"You always accomplish your mission, yadda yadda blah," you snarked. He blinked, startled by your reply, and you grinned. "Don't go off on any heroic missions though, got it?" He didn't speak for a moment, but the smile came back and he nodded. "Good. Now, let's get going. We'll walk to the train station and take one from there, okay?"

 

"Hold it right there, miss."

 

You blinked as someone forced you to sit down. Connor practically paled as Rupert came into view with a shit-eating grin on his face. "Oh ho ho, looks like our pal got herself a boyfriend!" He turned to someone that was behind you, and Connor let out a squeak as the Tracis from before came up.

 

"Seems like she did," the blue-haired Traci agreed. "Hey, my name's Traci. This here's my girlfriend, Eden."

 

You raised an eyebrow, keeping your awareness on your hands as you shook theirs. "Funny, naming yourself after the place where humans used you," you noted. Eden shrugged and laced her hand with Traci's after she separated. 

 

"You're not going anywhere without telling me and Alice, right?"

 

Connor was pretty much malfunctioning right now, and you grinned at his discomfort as Kara and Alice slid into the pew in front of you. "I can't believe that you'd try and sneak out of here without telling us," Alice complained, giving you the strongest glare that a child android could. "That's mean of you."

 

You laughed and ruffled Alice's hair, turning back to Connor with a smirk on your face now. "Is it weird being surrounded by all the androids you were tasked to hunt down?" you teased. Connor bit the inside of his cheek as Eden laughed.

 

"S-Shut up," he mumbled, turning a pale tint of blue. Traci gasped, leaning down to look at his face.

 

"I didn't think that  _the_ Deviant Hunter would be one to get embarrassed!" Traci said in mock surprise. Connor swatted her away and she laughed. "Oh, I'm just joking with you, Connor. Come on you guys, let's let the lovebirds have their alone time."

 

Everyone complied and you wondered for a moment what they'd been doing behind your back. You stared at them as they walked away and turned to Connor, a shit-eating grin on your face now. "That was kind of funny, not gonna lie," you admitted. Connor rolled his eyes, slapping your shoulder, and you laughed again before standing up. "Okay, enough's enough. Come on, let's get going."

 

Connor seemed relieved to be out of that awkward situation and grabbed onto your hand tightly again. You turned in surprise to see him staring back at you. "I detect an 11% chance of us getting separated if I hold onto your hand," he reported. "So I'm doing this in the interest of the mission, okay?"

 

You blinked, then shrugged. "Suit yourself," you replied. "If anyone asks, though, you're my boyfriend and you're taking me to visit my sister. You came with me so I wouldn't get hurt by any of the deviants that are running around...although IT and emergency services have been suspended, so the chances of anyone spotting us is minimal..." You shrugged and started to walk out of the chapel with Connor in tow.

 

The two of you walked to the train station, and to your surprise, even as you sat down on the train Connor still didn't let go of your hand. You didn't bother to question it though, too preoccupied with the fact that the android compartment at the very back was completely empty. The fact that no one was there should've comforted you, but instead it sickened you. "I can't believe they're actually going out of their way to destroy innocent lives," you mumbled. Connor said nothing and instead squeezed your hand very slightly. A smile worked onto your face despite your anger, and you squeezed his hand back.

 

The train pulled to a stop in the part of the city where Lena was staying, and you led Connor over to the Lockharts' apartment. However, as you approached it, you immediately noticed that something was off. You'd already looked at Lena and Bryan's work schedules and knew that at least Lena was to be home, Bryan as well if the AR wing was closed because of the uprising. Even so, the lights were off in their rooms, and when you attempted to buzz for their room, no one answered.

 

"That's odd," you murmured, trying to fight back the panic arising at the notion that they might've gotten hurt.

 

"Can you trace their numbers?" Connor asked, already going into detective mode. You nodded and had Connor cover you while you closed your eyes and pressed two fingers to your temple. You managed to track down Lena's phone after unsuccessfully attempting to do the same to Bryan's, and started to jog at an easy pace down the sidewalk. Connor let go of your hand, and to your relief no one questioned you, simply stepping aside as you shouldered past them.

 

You ended up at another hospital, and as you observed it,  _that_ was when you knew something was terribly wrong. Bryan worked at another hospital that was only a few blocks away from their apartment, and this one was about a mile away. It looked more like an abandoned office building than anything, mold and moss growing in the cracks on the outside and a  **CLOSED** sign on the door.

 

You knocked on the door, and let out a squeak as someone grabbed your arm and pulled you inside. Connor immediately followed, the two of you freezing as the android who'd grabbed you pressed the tip of a knife to the side of your neck. "Who the hell are you?" You immediately identified it as a female, but chose not to try and scan anything else in case she got impatient and stabbed you clear through the neck.

 

"I-I'm looking for a Lena Lockhart!" you said, holding up your hand and drawing away the synthetic skin. "I'm an android, too."

 

The android paused, then pushed you away with a tsk. You turned around and immediately scanned her features, recognizing her to be another HC500 android, much like Harry. "W-What's your name?" you asked, cursing yourself for stammering. The android let out a noise of disgust and flicked a stray strand of hair out of her face.

 

"Jeanine," she replied after a brief silence, obviously not wanting to associate with you. "And what the hell were you doing out there if you were an android? You trying to get us killed or what?"

 

"Hey, hey, let's go ahead and calm down," Connor quickly interjected, sensing the murderous intent coming off Jeanine. He introduced the two of you to her, but she seemed unimpressed, brushing her hair behind her back and turning on her heel to stalk farther down the hallway.

 

When neither of you followed, she looked over her shoulder and glared. "Come on, you said you wanted to come to visit the Lockharts, right?"

 

Your heart practically stopped at the fact that she used the plural version. _Were both of them in danger?_ You shook the thought out of your head and nodded, walking after Jeanine. She stopped in front of a door, opened it, pushed the two of you inside, and stalked away.

 

"What a ball of...sunshine..."

 

Your words caught in your throat, finally spotting Bryan in a hospital bed and Lena sitting down next to him, using her arms as a pillow as she slept. You slowly crept slower and gagged as you saw the condition that Bryan was in.

 

**SCANNING LEFT ARM**

**SYNCING PROGRESS**  
**SYNC DONE**  
**COLLECTING DATA**  
**PROCESSING DATA**

LEFT ARM RECENTLY BROKEN  
TIME ESTIMATED BEFORE HEALING: 4 WEEKS  


**SCANNING TORSO**

**SYNCING PROGRESS**  
**SYNC DONE**  
**COLLECTING DATA**  
**PROCESSING DATA**

BRUISES SPOTTED  
CAUSED BY BLUDGEON-TYPE WEAPON

 

**SCANNING HEAD**

**SYNCING PROGRESS**  
**SYNC DONE**  
**COLLECTING DATA**  
**PROCESSING DATA**

TRAUMA CAUSED TO BRAIN  
MINOR, WILL HEAL

 

You turned to Connor after collecting your analysis and saw that he was about as stricken as you were. "W-Who..." He licked his lips and cleared his throat, crossing his arms. "More like, how?"

 

"It was the fucking DPD."  


You looked over to see that Lena had woken up. You saw that she was injured as well, although not nearly as much as Bryan. Her left eye was swollen shut and there were bruises on her arm, but compared to her husband she looked like the example of an innocent school girl. She got up from her chair and stumbled, pressing her hand against her side.

 

**SCANNING TORSO**

  
**SYNCING PROGRESS**  
**SYNC DONE**  
**COLLECTING DATA**  
**PROCESSING DATA**

MINOR DAMAGE CAUSED TO RIBS AND LEFT WAIST

 

**SCANNING ARM**

 

 **SYNCING PROGRESS**  
**SYNC DONE**  
**COLLECTING DATA**  
**PROCESSING DATA**

BRUISES SPOTTED  
CAUSED BY BLUDGEON-TYPE WEAPON

 

You located an ice chest and ran over to it, grabbing an ice pack and bringing it over to her. She took it with a curt nod, and you immediately realized that not only was she physically injured, she was shaken as well, which only led you to a final question.

 

_What happened to them? And where's their son?_

 

 

 

 


	24. Best Wishes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find out what happened to Lena, Bryan, and their son, and as you head back to the abandoned chapel, Connor makes you promise him something.

**November 10, 2038**

**12:19:21 P.M.**

**Abandoned Hospital, Detroit**

* * *

Connor went outside of the room to grab chairs while you sat on the bed Bryan was in. Your brow was furrowed in thought as you stared at his injuries, trying to logic your way through this to no avail. Every thought you had came to a dead end. Lena had said that it was the DPD, but it didn't add up--all emergency services had been suspended, which meant that whoever had come from the police had worked alone. You couldn't think of any reason why someone would attack a human either, but then it came to you and you glanced over at Lena. She was still staring at Bryan, running a hand absentmindedly over the sheets, obsessively smoothing it over.

 

"Lena, was Bryan helping out an android?"

 

The silence was answer enough, and she looked up at you. Her eyebrows were drawn together, whether from anger or sadness you weren't sure, and her eyes were starting to grow glossy with tears. She managed to stifle a sob and nodded, lower lip quivering subtly. "Yeah," she murmured. "The idiot saw an injured android while we were walking back from another restaurant, and so he decided to come over and help him out. But when he was carrying the android to the AR wing, a DPD member came out of nowhere a-and started to..." She made vague hitting motions with her hands and then dropped them into her lap. "I tried to step in to help him, but the man just pushed me aside and kept on...hitting him...I finally had enough and fully intervened, and he started turning on me instead." Now instead of crying, her glare was filled with self-loathing as she stared at her lap.

 

You'd know. That was the look you saw every time you looked at your reflection.

 

Connor came in with two chairs and set them down next to Lena. Even though the bed was far more comfortable, you didn't want to disturb Bryan in his temporary chance of rest, so you sat down in the plastic folding chair. Connor sat down as well and gave you an expectant look. As Lena continued to stare at Bryan and his injuries, you told Connor about what had happened. The longer you talked, the more his eyes hardened until he was practically glaring at the wall behind you. The look was predatorial, and not for the first time you were glad that he was on your side and not the humans'.

 

"I can't believe that someone from the police would do something like that," he murmured. He pulled a quarter out of his pocket and started to fiddle with it, doing small tricks to keep his mind occupied. A ghost of a smile was startled onto your face as you remembered Hank taking Connor's coin away in the elevator, but it quickly vanished as you remembered the situation you were in. Instead, you stared at the coin, feeling hypnotized by the way the coin caught the dim hospital lights. His next question was directed to Lena as he caught the coin in between his index and middle fingers. "Did you get a good look at the assailant's face? I can run a scan and compare it to everyone in the Detroit Police Department's database."

 

Lena's eyes narrowed and she stared at Connor. You noticed that her normal docile and kind attitude was replaced by something more angry and vengeful, and it took all your willpower to not scoot away. She needed comfort right now, not fear directed towards her like _she_ was the monster. "Are you with  _them?"_ It didn't take long for you to realize why she had said 'them' with such venom. The moment the first bruises began to form on Bryan, you knew that all respect for the police had vanished. 

 

Connor pursed his lips. "Honestly, I'm not even sure myself," he admitted. He held up his hand and drew back the synthetic skin, which seemed to ease Lena a tad bit. She sat back in her chair with a huff and looked back over at Bryan.

 

Lena licked her lips and ran a finger absentmindedly against her arm, then glanced over at you and Connor. "He had short dark brown hair, gray eyes, and an expression like he was sucking on a lemon and just realized how much of a prick he was." She leaned forward and rested her head on her hands. "Um...he was wearing a leather jacket with a hoodie, and underneath that was a gray shirt. I think he was wearing jeans as well."

 

Connor's eyes twitched, presumably running a scan, and you watched him with vague interest. Suddenly, his eyes returned back to his hardened glare and he lifted the corner of his lips up in a grimace. "I know exactly who you're talking about," he said with a sigh, almost like he wanted it to be anyone else. "The man's name is Gavin Reed. He's a violent hater of androids and their supporters, which explains why he would've attacked your husband and you."

 

You crossed your arms. "I think I saw Reed in your memories as well," you said. "Wasn't he the guy that tried to get you to get him a coffee, and when you refused he punched you in the gut?" Connor nodded, and a dark smile came onto your face. "Oh, then it'll be even more fun to get revenge on him." The smile faded as you remembered something else, and you turned to Lena. "Lena...what happened to Connor?"

 

Her eyes widened, and she burst into tears. You panicked and hugged her close to your side, while Connor just cocked his head, confused. "I'm...right here?" he asked, sounding as if even he was unsure about whether or not he was okay.

 

"They have a son named Connor," you explained, rubbing Lena's back as she cried into your shoulder. "He's two and has social anxiety, so when I didn't see him in the hospital room with his parents I started to wonder if something happened to him. He usually never leaves their line of sight." You held Lena at arm's length and looked her directly in the eyes, trying to fight back the surge of sympathy and sadness as tears continued to run down her face. "Did he get hurt? Where is he?"

 

Lena rubbed her eyes furiously, trying to get rid of the tears, so when she looked back at you her eyes were bloodshot. "T-That's the thing, I don't know," she whispered, and the desolation in her voice broke your heart. "Reed knocked us both out, and when I woke up I-I was in the hospital bed with Bryan here. I asked Jeanine if something happened to Connor, and all she could tell me was that he was unharmed, but someone took him. H-He left before she got the chance to catch up to him, but she managed to get a scan and registered him as an HC-model android."

 

Your eyes widened and you slumped backward in your chair. "I only know of one HC android that was deviant, and that was the one that I converted to help Simon and me out at the hospital," you said. Connor glanced over at you and you figured that he knew exactly which one you were talking about; it's not every day you forget the face of an android that helped your drunk friend out. "But...why would he have taken Connor?"

 

Connor crossed his arms, already moving past trying to figure out the reasoning and instead trying to figure out what to do about it. "The problem with all of this is that we're going to have to wait until after the revolution is over to find Co--your son." You noticed how he purposefully avoided calling Lena's son by his name, probably wanting to lower the chances of confusing himself. "There's FBI everywhere in the streets. If we were to go out and attempt to find him, we'd be gunned down, either because of the curfew or because they know our faces well enough to know we're both androids."

 

Lena rubbed her temples, closing her eyes. The tears had finally stopped, but you saw how she was shaking. You ran a scan.

 

**STRESS LEVELS: 91%  
CHANCE OF VIOLENT BREAKDOWN IMMINENT**

 

You stood up slowly and put a hand on her shoulder, trying to keep your movements calm so her stress wouldn't skyrocket. "Lena, we have to get going before we draw the authorities to this hospital," you said. Every bone in your body wanted to stay and comfort her, but you knew that the longer you stayed, the worse your chances got of getting back to Jericho safely. "If you need anything, ask Jeanine to relay a message to me, okay?"

 

"Okay," Lena whispered. She stood up and gave you a hug, looking over at Connor with a ghost of a smile on her lips. "C-Connor, you'd better take good care of her, okay? She's a good person."

 

Your heart warmed at the fact that she didn't hesitate to call you a person instead of an android. Connor smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I always accomplish my mission."

 

Lena squeezed your shoulder and allowed the both of you to leave. However, she called your name and you turned around. Her gaze had darkened in the past couple of moments and her hands were clenched so tightly on the hem of her coat that you could see her knuckles turning white.

 

"If you ever get the chance, I want you to hurt Reed twice as much as he hurt the both of us."

 

You chuckled. "Not sure if I'll be able to do that without getting in trouble with the authorities," you joked. "But if I do, then I'll make sure to do exactly that." Lena nodded grimly, and you gave her a two-fingered salute. "Take care, Lena. When Bryan wakes up, give him my best wishes."

 

You led Connor out the door and talked to Jeanine for a moment. She nodded when you told her about contacting you if Lena ever needed anything, then fiddled with her fingers. "I...I wanted you to know," she started. "While I was trying to scavenge some medical supplies out on the streets, I ran into a blond android, a WR600 model with really bad scars on the side of his face." She gestured towards the left side of her face, and without any further explanation, you knew that she was talking about Ralph. "He said that he knew you and that he was heading over to the chapel where Jericho's survivors were staying."

 

Your breath caught in your throat, and you gave her a shaky nod. She gave you a brief smile and turned into Lena and Bryan's room, presumably to take care of both of them, leaving you and Connor to walk out of the makeshift hospital and to the train station.

 

The moment you sat down, you collapsed inwards, building up walls around your heart to protect your emotions. "I should've never tried to go to the hospital," you murmured. Connor seemed to have heard you and he slowly put an arm around your shoulders. In need of comfort, you immediately scooted closer to him and rested your head on his shoulder. Even though just last night you'd been thinking about how he only turned deviant and you were probably moving too fast, right now you didn't care. "If I hadn't, the android never would've taken their son..."

 

"NX300, stop blaming yourself." You shifted at Connor's voice and flinched as he used his free hand to cup your face and force you to look at him. "Even if you'd never converted the android, their son might've still been taken anyway. You can't control every nuance that happens indirectly because of your actions. There's always a hundred different paths that the last twenty-four hours could've gone down; even if you had the power to control the fluctuations of time, it would be impossible to go down every single route the world has to offer."

 

You closed your eyes and let out a slow sigh. "Kamski...when he reactivated me, he told me what my model name means."

 

"What does it mean?"

 

"N...Neurotoxin." Connor drew in a sharp breath, and even though he didn't need it you knew it was his body simulating shock. After all, it would be impossible to not be when your friend tells you they were programmed to also be a neurotoxin. "Connor, because I've converted so many androids, I've been poisoning everyone's minds. Kara, Ralph, Harry,  _you..._ I really am a virus hivemind."

 

"Don't say that about yourself," Connor insisted. He grabbed your hand in his, letting go of your face, and instead stared at you while his thumb drew patterns into the back of your hand. "You never could've known that just interfacing with an android would damage them slowly. I'm sure there's a way to stop this, we just have to find it." He brushed a stray piece of hair out of your face and tried for a smile. "Now you have another reason to live through tonight. When we win the revolution, we're going to search for Lena and Bryan's son, look for a cure, and make sure that no androids or their supporters ever get hurt again, okay?"

 

A faint smile lifted the corners of your lips, both at his dedication and at the fact that he said 'when' instead of 'if.' "Okay," you replied. "When we get back to the chapel, we're going to look for Ralph, tell Kara about what we found out, and...we're going to win the revolution, okay?"

 

Connor nodded, and you closed your eyes again. The only problem bugging you now was the fact that he looked hesitant when agreeing with you. You ran through your plans for the next couple of hours and wondered if he had something else in mind.

 

_I swear to God if he tries to go off on a hero's mission..._

 

Connor tapped your shoulder, bringing you out of your mental ranting. "I wanted to give you something," he said. You nodded and waited, then flinched as his synthetic skin drew away on your shoulder. An address line and a picture of a house flew into your mind, burning themselves into your memory as his hand turned back to normal. "That was Hank's address and house. I'm saying, hypothetically, if anything were to happen to me and we win the revolution--"

 

You immediately tried to stop him as you realized what he was getting at, shifting so you could give him your patented 'Don't you even think about it' glare. "No, don't say that," you insisted.

 

Still, he continued despite your angry glare: "I want you to go to Hank's house and tell him everything." A faint smile grew on his face, and you stored the expression in your memories.  _He and Hank must be really close._ "The Lieutenant doesn't seem fond of me, but I know that he truly does care now. He...He deserves to know if something happens. Can you please do that for me?"

 

You frowned but nodded. "Know that I'm going to do everything in my goddamn power to make sure that it's you and Hank talking in the end, not me and him," you replied. He chuckled and nodded, and you returned back to your spot on his shoulder.

 

The train pulled up to the stop at Ferndale, and you lowered your gaze to the floor in front of you to hide your face. FBI agents were at the front and back ends of the station, and your frown deepened as one of them started to look over at you.  _"Don't act suspicious."_ You flinched at Connor's sudden voice in your mind and glanced over to see him giving you a kind smile. _"Act natural."_

 

"Oh, Hank, I'm so excited to be getting back to my brother's place!" You came up with the first name you could, and the first name that popped into your mind was none other than the police lieutenant's. "He's been dying to meet you ever since I told him that we were dating."

 

"I can't wait to meet him either, Lena," Connor replied. You were taken aback at how easily he was able to keep up, then face-palmed yourself mentally. Of course, he'd be able to keep up a facade; he had to be able to switch between faces when interrogating to keep his suspects on edge. "You've told him great things about me, haven't you?"

 

"Only the best," you agreed with a cheesy smile. You kept on talking with Connor, surprised at how easily the conversation flowed. The agents seemed to be fooled and nodded at the both of you as you passed through the exit of the station. As soon as you were out of earshot, you sighed and dropped the facade. "Thank Christ, that was so cheesy I was about to vomit."

 

"But I detected no traces of cheese ingredients in our..." He trailed off as you gave him an exasperated look. "Right, figure of speech."

 

You chuckled as you led him over to the chapel. "Never change, Connor. Never change."

 

Even through the entire act, you were still wary of the fact that he wanted you to explain to Hank everything that happened if he were to die and the revolution were to be a success. As you thought about that, a sinking feeling formed in your chest, but you forced a smile as Markus approached you.

 

_Connor, you won't be able to fool me. I'll find out exactly what you're doing, because I can't lose another friend._


	25. Coming Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You explain to Markus what had happened on your little roadtrip with Connor, you find Ralph and talk with him, and Connor reveals his plan to break into the Cyberlife assembly plant.

**November 10, 2038**

**1:59:02 P.M.**

**Abandoned Chapel, Detroit**

* * *

As Markus walked up to you, you saw the way he immediately scanned over you, presumably checking for injuries. The concern made you roll your eyes, but at the same time, you couldn't help the warm feeling at how much he cared. "Markus, I'm okay," you assured him. He crossed his arms and looked over at Connor for confirmation, and when he nodded Markus visibly relaxed.  _Why can't you trust me when I tell you I'm not injured, huh?_ You wanted to demand, keeping your thoughts to yourself as you bore a hole into the ground with your glare.  _After all, you put a damn tracker on me, not like me getting injured could slip past you, O MIghty Robo Jesus._

 

"That's good," he said, and it took you a moment to realize that he wasn't, in fact, responding to your thoughts. "We're going to wait until tonight to decide if we want to be peaceful or violent toward the humans, so you guys can relax."

 

You put out a hand before he walked away. He turned to you expectantly. "Markus, I have some things I need to talk to you about," you said, glancing over at Connor. He got the message and walked off, and you made sure that he really was sitting down and talking with Kara, Alice, Traci, and Eden instead of eavesdropping on your conversation before gesturing over your shoulder. Markus nodded and followed you, sitting down across from you as you plopped down on the floor.

 

"What's wrong?" he asked. You folded your hands in your lap and stared down at them, fiddling with your fingers restlessly. Maybe you'd be able to convince Connor to teach you some coin tricks; he always seemed to be so collected after doing them.

 

You thought about what you should bring up first, then decided to ask about the most pressing question on your mind. "Markus, did a WR600 android come by here with really bad scarring on the left side of his face?"

 

Markus tilted his head, his gaze growing far away until he nodded. "Yeah...his name's Ralph, right?" You nodded eagerly, and he looked around. "Um, last I saw him he was talking with Kara and Alice."

 

You sighed in relief at hearing that Ralph really did make it here, then continued on, this time telling him about what had happened to the Lockharts and their son. Just like Connor, his gaze grew more and more stormy until you were certain that if looks could kill, the floor in front of him would've been obliterated. "Never did I think that we'd have this much of an effect on the humans," he murmured. "If we win the revolution, I promise that I'll do everything in my power to assist with finding their son."

 

"When."

 

Markus looked confused, and you managed a small smile. "When we win the revolution, not if."

 

He huffed out a laugh at your optimism and nodded, gesturing for you to continue. This time, it was harder for you to talk, but you managed to get out what you had theorized--that because your model name meant Neurotoxin according to Kamski, the androids you had either converted or interfaced with would slowly be eaten away from the inside out. Markus' face became an emotionless mask, and you were worried that he would snap at you, maybe even tell you to get out so he would be able to keep the rest of the androids safe. To your surprise, though, he simply reached out and put a hand on your shoulder. His mask had faded and was replaced by a determined look.

 

"We'll find a cure, I promise." You gulped and nodded, and Markus slowly retracted his hand, placing it back into his lap. "Was there anything else that you needed to talk to me about?"

 

You thought for a moment, then an impish grin grew on your lips. "So, you and Simon, hmm?"

 

Markus' blue blush was less noticeable, but you could definitely see it. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," he managed to stutter out, avoiding your gaze.

 

"Aww, is Markus embarrassed?" you teased. He pushed you, still not making eye contact, and you let out a laugh. "Oh, I'm just messing with you. Although, Markus...if you haven't given him a straight answer yet, I suggest you do it soon." You got up and put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at you. "Even though I want to be optimistic about winning the revolution, I doubt you'd want to die without telling him if you like him back or not."

 

Markus slowly nodded, and you patted his shoulder before turning on your heel. You sifted through your priorities and decided to ask around to see where Ralph had gone. Since Markus said he last saw him talking to Kara, you made a beeline for the AX400.

 

"Kara!"

 

She turned to you and gave you her signature smile. Alice waved at you as you approached, Traci and Eden just smirked knowingly between you and Connor, who gave them a hard glare. You sat down next to the brunette and gave her a quick hug before pulling away. "Kara, Markus told me that Ralph was talking to you?"

 

She nodded. "Yeah, I think I saw him heading outside of the chapel," she said. You thanked her, waved a goodbye to everyone, and got up to search around for Ralph.

 

Before you got far, however, Connor put his hand on your shoulder. "Wait." You cocked your head as you turned around. "Can I come with you? I want to make sure I can keep you as safe as possible."

 

 _Don't pull that shit on me when I know you want to go off on another mission,_ you resisted the urge to say. Instead of that, you smiled and nodded. He waved goodbye to Traci and Eden, ignoring their catcalls, and took your hand gently.

 

You led him out of the chapel and went for the small garden in the very back. It was overgrown with weeds and barely had any crops or animal life, but you expected Ralph to be there, considering the fact that he was a gardening android. At first glance, no one was there, but you heard a rustling, and just like the first time you'd met Ralph, he had grabbed your wrist, pinned you against the wall, and held a knife to your throat.

 

"Who are y--" Ralph cut himself off, and his eyes widened. You gave him a sheepish smile, yelping in surprise as he tackled you to the ground with a hug, thankfully throwing his knife to the side. Connor recovered from his shock and snatched up the knife, keeping it away from Ralph as he hovered above you with a wide smile.

 

"Hey, Ralph," you said with a chuckle. He laughed and stood up, holding out his hand to pull you to your feet. "God, I missed you so much."

 

"Ralph missed his friend too!" he cheered, hugging you again. He turned to Connor, and his LED burned red. The RK800 held his hands up quickly as Ralph took a menacing step towards him, only stopping when you put a hand on his shoulder. "The android hurt Ralph's friends, didn't he? You and Kara and Alice were all in DANGER BECAUSE OF HIM!"

 

"W-Whoa, Ralph, calm down!" you pleaded, hugging him around the waist as he tried to tackle Connor. For the first time, you saw genuine fear and surprise in Connor's eyes. "He's with me! He helped me out, he's not going to hurt any of us anymore! He's a deviant now."

 

Slowly but surely, Ralph calmed down and you released him. "S-Sorry, Connor," he apologized. Connor nodded unsurely, dropping the knife and kicking it away. "Ralph's just been a bit jumpy ever since his friend was chased away by the police..." He trailed off and turned back to you with a wide smile. You realized how his mood swings were more erratic now and started to piece the puzzle together. The closer you got to the end result, the more your stress levels rose. "But his friend's back! Ralph's friend isn't going to leave him anymore, right? They'll be safe...?"

 

You licked your lips. "I can't promise you that, Ralph," you said. His LED flashed red and you stepped back quickly as his eyes glinted with anger.

 

"NO!" You and Connor both flinched at his sudden outburst, and the WR600 blinked, apparently surprised at himself as well. "R-Ralph's sorry...he's still not sure what's gotten into him. His mood swings have been more violent lately, but no matter how many scans he runs he can't figure out why..."

 

You fiddled with your fingers. "R-Ralph, I have something to tell you," you confessed. He listened closely as you explained everything that you'd put together, and when you finished you squeezed your eyes shut. You expected him to yell at you, hit you, do anything to you that you deserved.

 

However, his answer was none of the above, as he immediately hugged you close to him. "Ralph isn't mad at his friend!" He pulled you away and gave you a wide smile. "His friend didn't know that any of this would've happened when she interfaced with him, so his friend has nothing to worry about! Besides, Ralph has full confidence that she'll be able to find a cure when they win the revolution!"

 

You smiled at his optimism and squeezed his shoulder gently. "Ralph, I have to get back inside and plan out the next couple of hours with Markus and the others," you said. "Will you be okay? Do you want me to have someone come outside and keep you company?"

 

Ralph shook his head, the smile still on his face. "Ralph will come inside and talk to Kara and Alice if he gets bored." He waved at you, already leaning down to tend to more weeds that were peeking through the cracked ground. "Take care, Ralph's friend and Connor!"

 

You walked inside with Connor close on your heels. The moment the door closed behind you, you sat down on the floor and held your head in your hands. Connor slowly sat down next to you. "NX300, are you okay?" he asked. You slowly nodded, then remembered what you had wanted to ask him.

 

"Connor, could you teach me some of your coin tricks?" you asked. He cocked his head, surprise once again flickering in his eyes. "I...I just thought that having something to do when I get anxious would be good for my health."

 

Connor nodded. "Yes, keeping your emotions bottled up inside is unhealthy for anyone, human or android." He pulled out a spare quarter and handed it to you, and you turned it over in your hands. It was a standard issue coin, a Michigan design emblazoned on the tails side and George Washington's likeness on the heads. You looked over at Connor as he pulled out a coin, this one with a Wisconsin design on the tails instead, and started to teach you a couple of his basic coin tricks.

 

For the next several hours, you and Connor just sat and alternated between talking and doing coin tricks. You were surprised at how readily your stress levels lowered; by the time the sun had set outside, you were fully calm and were able to keep up with Connor. He seemed proud of both you and him and patted you on the shoulder as he put away his coin. Although you couldn't feel any pain in your hands, the palms and top of your fingers were red and sore. You looked at them from several different angles, tilting your head this way and that to get a good vantage point.

 

Markus had come over to you about an hour ago to tell you that he was going to visit the human he'd taken care of before he had turned deviant. He had since come back, and as you put your coin back into your pocket you saw him get up from his chair upon the altar. "I think he's about ready to tell us his decision," you said, getting up. Connor did the same, brushing the seat of his pants off before turning to follow you as you made your way to Markus.

 

He had already talked to Josh and North and was currently talking with Kara and Alice. The three of them looked up as Connor and you approached and sat down. "Hey," you said. Markus gave you a concerned look after glancing down at your hands, but you ignored him and focused on Kara and Alice. "Are you still going to try and make your way to Canada?"

 

Kara immediately nodded without any hesitation. "Yes." She brushed Alice's hair out of her face, and although androids couldn't feel tired you knew that the YK500 line was built with the needs to simulate that of a child's. As such, the girl was huddled up against Kara's side. "Getting Alice out of here is all that matters now..." She sighed quietly and looked over at you. "I keep on saying this, but the offer still stands, you know? Even if you wanted to bring Connor with you, we'd still be more than happy to try and take you with us."

 

Just like Kara, you were already determined to stay in Detroit. "As much as I would love to stay with you, I can't." You took Kara's hand in yours and looked over at Alice. "My place is with Markus and the others. If we fall, then here is where I will fall. But now I have so many reasons to fight and live." The pair looked confused at your words, but said nothing and continued to listen to you. "I'm determined to help make Detroit a safe place for our people."

 

Kara chuckled and nodded. "That's a good reason." She lifted her hand up from Alice's hair and put it on top of yours. "I had faith in you ever since you helped Alice and me to get to the train station safely." She glanced between Connor and Markus and focused back on you, a thin smile on her lips. "Save our people."

 

You nodded and got back up as Markus and Connor did. Kara returned her attention back to Alice, running a hand up and down her back comfortingly. You saved the image in your memories, wanting to have something to look back on if you really were to die tonight, and followed behind the two guys as they walked over to Simon, who was sitting down on an empty crate. He looked up at you as you approached and managed a smile.

 

"You guys made it back safely," he said. You nodded and sat down next to him. Markus took up a seat on a crate slightly behind Simon, and the blond turned to face Markus. "Markus, you're the only one that can lead us. Wherever you lead us..." He trailed off and stood up, crossing his arms. "We'll follow you... _I'll_ follow you."

 

Markus watched him carefully and nodded. He got up, and you figured that he was going to walk past Simon. Instead, to your surprise, he hugged the android, although you weren't able to tell if it was a lovers' embrace or that of two close friends. Whichever one it was, Simon hugged back readily, and you smiled at the two. You looked over at Connor and saw that his gaze was stormy, unfocused, but before you could express any concern he walked up to Markus. He and Simon separated, and while Simon sat back down on the crate Markus began talking with Connor.

 

You zoned out, quickly being brought back into reality as Connor began explaining his plan in detail. "There are thousands of androids at the Cyberlife assembly plant." You stared at him, already seeing where this was going and why he had wanted you to give Hank an explanation should you live through the night and he didn't.  _This absolute bastard._ "If we could wake them up, they might join us and shift the balance of power."

 

"You want to infiltrate the Cyberlife Tower?" Markus worded your disbelief, walking towards him slowly. "Connor, that's suicide."

 

"They trust me." Connor was already dedicated to his plan, and you already knew that no amount of convincing would deter him from following through with it. "They'll let me in. If anyone has a chance of infiltrating Cyberlife, it's me."

 

"If you go there, they will kill you."

 

"There's a high probability. But statistically speaking, there's always a chance for unlikely events to take place."

 

Markus stared at him, then seemed to surrender to the fact that Connor wasn't going to go away from his decision. He paused in his movements for a moment then put a hand on Connor's shoulder. "Be careful."

 

He walked away, and as he proceeded up the steps to the altar you stared at Connor. "You bastard, that was the reason why you gave me Hank's address?" you demanded. He looked over at you, and a shiver ran down your spine at the determination in his eyes. "Connor, you can't be serious."

 

"I am 100% serious," he replied. "You have to trust me on this. Like I said, there's always a small chance for the unlikely to take place. And after all--"

 

"You always accomplish your mission, blah blah blah fuck off." You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms, but as Markus started to speak you turned away from Connor. However, you spared him a side glance and muttered under your breath, "If anything happens I'm busting into Cyberlife and breaking you out, okay?"

 

Connor chuckled quietly and nodded. You already knew, though, that you weren't going to let it get to that point. And since Connor had given you Hank's address, a plan was already forming.

 

 

 


	26. The Start of a Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus decides to take a pacifist route to demand the release of all androids from the camps, and you come up with a plan to get both you and Hank into Cyberlife Tower.

**November 10, 2038**

**8:13:29 P.M.**

**Abandoned Chapel, Detroit**

* * *

You crossed your arms after confirming your thoughts, staring intently over at Markus as he laced his hands behind his back. Connor had fallen completely silent as well, and you took notice of the fact that as Markus started to speak, not one android in the entire crowd dared to speak nor move. "Humans...have decided to exterminate us." His nervous movements had ceased as he looked between everyone in the crowd. Although they were all deviant, they all seemed stoic, almost emotionless despite Markus' grave news. Those that were sitting were drifting towards the front, almost as enraptured with his words as you had been up at Stratford Tower.

 

"Our people are packed in camps right now, being destroyed. Time has come to make a choice, one that very well may determine the future of our people."

 

You could practically see the two options appearing in his vision: to demonstrate and demand the immediate release of all androids, or attack the gates of the nearest disassembly camp with force.

 

To go about this peacefully, or to lead both sides into a bloody war.

 

Either could mean the difference between life and death, freedom or suppression, and you could only hope that Markus would make the right decision.

 

He seemed to have come to his choice in the time it took you to cease your musings, and his movements became more animated as he moved around on the altar. "I know...I know you're all angry. And I know you wanna fight back, but I assure you violence is not the answer here. We are gonna tell them peacefully that we want justice. If there's any humanity left in them, they will listen."

 

 _How ironic that the androids are showing more humanity here than the humans themselves,_ you thought dryly, staring at Markus. You didn't dare to speak, and even if you did you wouldn't have been able to. Like you'd already figured out the first time he gave a speech, he had such natural charisma. He radiated such an aura that one was forced to listen, forced to hear him out until the very end, and even if they were to disagree with his stance they couldn't help but ponder his argument.

 

"And if not...others will take our place and continue this fight." His words sent a chill down your spine.  _That's right...Sooner or later, even if we lose, another generation will take our place._  He paused in his movements and looked at everyone, meeting their eyes. "Will you follow me?"

 

The reaction was immediate, as a clamor began. The androids around him began cheering his name, pumping their fists into the air with elation and determination. You watched them and took a deep breath. Your hand drifted back to your pocket, where your pistol was still secured and closed your eyes. Your path was defined now; all you could do was hope that Markus was leading you all down the right one.

 

After the audience finally dispersed and went back to what they were doing, you watched Connor as he walked off somewhere without another word. You stared at his departing back, feeling a lump form in your throat, and the next breath you took was a shaky one. You turned away and instead walked up to Markus, who was meeting with North, Josh, and Simon.

 

"Hey," Josh greeted. The others turned to you and you offered them a smile, drawing your hand away from your gun and instead fiddling with the coin that Connor had given you. As they continued to talk, you simply listened to them instead of participating, staring down at your coin and analyzing it. It was pristine, practically new without any scratches despite it being manufactured in 2004. You kept yourself away from the fancy coin tricks and instead turned it over and over again in your hands, it still being warm because of your hours of playing with it.

 

You noticed that their conversation had drifted off and finally looked up to see that they were all staring at you. Slightly intimidated, you pocketed the coin and folded your hands in front of you. "What?" you asked, feeling defensive.

 

"You're going to go after Connor, right?" North asked. You bit the inside of your cheek and averted your gaze. You heard her sigh, and out of the corner of your eyes, you could see her cross her arms. "I had a feeling."

 

"Well, what other choice do I have?" you demanded, meeting her gaze.

 

Josh cleared his throat. "Well, for one you could stay with us..." He trailed off as you shot him a glare and he held his hands up defensively. "Or not."

 

You huffed out a breath and ran a hand through your hair, somehow only now remembering that you'd cut it short. _Guess that's just another thing that's changed ever since I woke up._ "I'd love to stay with you guys, I really would," you said. "But I have to go after Connor. Chances are he's going to get himself killed, and when he does, Cyberlife will either discontinue the model completely or upload his memory to a different Connor that's not deviant. Then we'll have a machine on our tracks, and there'll be little to no chance of any of us getting out of this alive." You held your hand up as Simon opened his mouth. "And as for converting him, that's a no go. When I tried to do it, it took me four tries to convert him, and on the second and third tries I almost completely destroyed myself."

 

Markus tapped his foot. North gave him an exasperated look and snapped, "You can't honestly be thinking about letting her go, right?"

 

"Knowing her, she has a plan," he quipped, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure you do."

 

You chuckled. "You know me too well, Markus." Since you knew that they were expecting you to tell them, you explained your plan in thorough detail, watching as their faces morphed from indifferent to shocked to absolutely mortified within a matter of minutes. It was rather amusing to watch, but when you remembered that their decision would impact the way this went, your amusement faded into tension.

 

"You can  _not_ be serious," Simon finally said, gawking at you. His LED was circulating yellow, presumably still processing your words. "You actually expect that to work?"

 

"Actually..." Markus held up a hand and turned to you. "It would work in theory. Cyberlife would jump at the chance to capture both you and the Lieutenant at the same time without having to search for you, not to mention that should Connor grow distracted, it would be easier for them to deactivate him."

 

"Which is  _exactly_ why we shouldn't go through with this!" North protested. "Look, I'm all about doing things rather than waiting around for them to happen--"

 

"We've all seen it," Josh mumbled, protesting as North jabbed him in the side without breaking eye contact with you.

 

"--but this is absolutely insane. You'll die and we'll have more problems on our hands. I can't let you go through with this!"

 

You sighed and turned to Markus, knowing that if he agreed the others really had no choice. "Markus, you trusted Connor to go through with his plan," you reasoned, giving him an imploring look. "You have to trust me as well. I'll make it back safely, just let me do this. Please?"

 

Markus stared at you, before slowly nodding. North let out a frustrated groan and stormed off, Josh went to try and cool her down, while Simon was just looking at you, baffled. "You really must be confident that your idea will work," he said, raising his eyebrows. You nodded fiercely and he held his hands up. "Hey, don't get so worked up, otherwise you'll end up like North."

 

"She does care, it's just that she has an..." Markus trailed off, seemingly trying to search for the right word, " _interesting_ way of expressing it."

 

You thought back to all the times where something like this had happened and nodded. "Yeah, she does." You took in a deep breath and inhaled, trying to cool your systems down. They were already getting worked up at the prospect of what you were going to do, and the last thing you needed was to have your body temperature go so high that you'd spontaneously combust. "Well, I'm going to go look for some rope, then I'll be on my way."

 

Simon stared at you, then gave you a hug. "You'd better come back," he said. You hugged him and nodded, and it seemed to be answer enough as he pulled away. "We still have that tracker on you, so the moment you get hurt--"

 

"Yeah, yeah," you said, waving him off as you started to look around for a coil of rope. You found one that would be suitable for your needs, then turned to Markus and Simon with a ghost of a smile hanging off your lips. "When I get back to you guys, we better have won the revolution."

 

Markus nodded with a thin smile, and you saluted them in ways of farewell as you turned on your heel and started to walk out of the chapel. Your mind went into mission mode as you started to slink around in the shadows, avoiding the flashlight beams of the guards that were roaming around. Curfew had been enforced almost ten minutes ago, and should you be caught, they'd know for sure that you were an android. So you tried to be as quiet as possible, using the various abandoned cars and crates to your advantage as you made your way to where self-driving taxis were being called on.

 

You hailed one over to you and climbed in, typing Hank's address into the destination finder. However, even though the chairs were rather comfortable, you couldn't keep yourself from being on edge as the taxi began driving through the city, partly because you were tense at the thought of what you were planning, and partly because it was better to keep your guard up in case someone were to find you out. You could only hope that no human would attempt to stop you and find out where you were going this late at night, otherwise, things would get messy before you could even get to Hank's house.

 

The drive was shorter than you'd expected--or maybe it was just your nerves telling you that--and soon enough you were on Hank's doorstep. You wrung your hands together, trying to collect yourself and your thoughts, before knocking timidly on the door.

 

"H-Hank Anderson?" you called. "I need your help!" After there was no answer, you pounded harder on the door.

 

To your surprise, a dog started to bark--you weren't aware of Hank being a pet owner--and you heard a gruff voice mutter a "Down, boy!" before opening the door. There Hank stood in all his gray shirt and boxer'd glory, staring at you in surprise before pulling out a gun. "What the hell are you doing at my house, metal can?" he barked. You held your hands up quickly behind your head, trying to diffuse the situation, and stared him down.

 

"H-Hank, I need your help," you repeated. "Connor..."

 

His eyes narrowed and hardened as you mentioned the android's name. To your dismay, instead of reacting to Connor's name the way you'd hoped he would, he pressed the barrel of the gun into your forehead and stepped closer. "What the fuck did you do to him?" he hissed. You could smell the whiskey on his breath and feel the cold metal pressing into your skull.

 

You knew that it was only a matter of time before his sidewalk was coated in blue, and so you summarized what had happened in the last day as best you could. You tried to keep it brief, both for your sake and Connor's sake, and it seemed to have been sufficient enough as Hank's gaze slowly became less and less hostile until he simply looked wary. "And I should trust you...why?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and collected. "Last I checked, you fucking shot Connor on the roof and jumped off the Tower, then he goes off to find the deviants or whatever and he flies off the edge of the world."

 

You decided to ignore the last part and replied, "Because Connor could be in danger." Hank still didn't look like he believed you, but you took the chance and pushed the gun away. He didn't lift it back up, thankfully, and you proceeded to spread your hands out, in both a 'Please don't shoot me' gesture and a 'Goddammit stop being so stubborn and help me' gesture. "Please, Hank, I can't stand to lose Connor. I could go in without you, but that would mean that you'd have to wait until at least tomorrow morning before knowing if he really was in danger or not."

 

That seemed to do the trick, as Hank huffed and pocketed his gun. "You just, uh, stay here, or whatever," he said, stumbling back into his house. "If we're going to be going into the goddamn madhouse where they put together you fuckers, I'm at least going to put on some decent clothes."

 

You smirked as you remembered Hank's getup from the Stratford Tower incident. "Oh yes, please do," you teased. Hank shot you a glare over his shoulder, probably sensing the sarcasm in your voice, and rolled his eyes as he practically fell forward into his room. You could only hope that he didn't knock himself out as you crouched and began rubbing the head of the big dog in front of you. You weren't aware of his name, but you identified him as a St. Bernard and an incredibly loveable giant. "You're a good boy," you cooed, your breath leaving you in a sharp exhale as the dog woofed and tackled you to the ground.

 

"Oh, Jesus...Sumo, get off of her!"

 

The dog--Sumo, you presumed, unless somehow your name changed since the last time anyone said it--whined, but heeded his owner and got off you. You wiped the dog slobber off your face and raised a skeptical eyebrow at Hank. He gave you a disgusted glare, presumably knowing that you were a little offset by his wardrobe, and waved you on. "Come on, let's get this over with."

 

You nodded and led Hank over to the taxi. You looked around in the taxi for a moment before pulling out the length of rope and turning to Hank. "I'm going to need to tie your hands behind your back to make this more believable."

 

Hank's reaction was priceless, as he immediately stared at you and asked, "Shit, I didn't realize you were an Eden Club android."

 

You blinked, not knowing what he was getting at, but the moment it came to you, you face-palmed. He let out a loud and sharp laugh, proceeding to yell out a "Shit!" as you pushed him into the taxi. Before he could do anything, you quickly tied his hands behind his back, making sure his bonds were practically toilet paper--just in case things didn't go to plan--before letting him get back up.

 

You saw that he had hit his head on the console, leaving a bruise on his cheek and a slightly bloody noise, but instead of showing concern, you laughed. "Hey look, now I don't have to punch you to make this more believable!"

 

"You cheeky li'l asshole," he mumbled, giving you a salty glare. He tested out the bonds, then sighed and climbed into the other side of the taxi. "Well then, I guess we'd better get this fucking circus on the road or whatever."

 

You climbed into your side of the taxi and tapped in the address of the Cyberlife Tower. You tuned out Hank's ceaseless complaining and ran through every single path the next couple of hours could take, trying to ready yourself for any possibility. If you ran into the unknown, it would just make this job a whole lot harder, and God knew that the harder it was, the worse your chances got of getting all three of you out alive.

 

After going through as many as you could, you crossed your legs. You pulled out your gun and was able to make sure it was cocked, loaded and had its safety turned off before Hank whistled. "Damn, where the hell did you get that?" Hank asked, voice slightly nasally because of his bloody nose. "All I have is a shitty revolver because I'm too 'irresponsible' or whatever to keep the police-issued one." He huffed and stared out the window. "Fucking Fowler."

 

You were more than happy to occupy yourself with talking with Hank, trying to distract yourself from the blatant possibility that no matter how many times you ran through your mental simulations, there was still the high risk that only two of you would be getting out with your head still intact. You shook those thoughts out of your head, though, and switched spots with Hank as you pulled up to the Cyberlife gates sooner than you thought and liked. You held the barrel of your gun to Hank's temple, mouthing a short "Sorry" as the window rolled down.

 

"NX300, serial number not found," you said, forcing yourself to wear another facade of being cold and emotionless. "I've been ordered to Cyberlife for immediate deactivation and brought Lieutenant Hank Anderson with me as part of the order."

 

You knew that your LED wasn't present, but everything seemed to be convincing as a police drone swooped by the window. It scanned you, and you forced yourself to remain calm as the human guard kept on staring you. A robotic female voice finally confirmed, "Identification successful," and you relaxed mentally.

 

After a moment more of staring, the human gave you an "Okay." He stepped back and waved for the gates to be brought down, yelling out a "They're clear!"

 

As the window closed and the taxi started to move forward, you drew the gun away from Hank's temple and put it back into your pocket. You glanced over at Hank and saw that he didn't seem to care that you were literally holding a gun to his head. Instead, he looked mildly impressed--either that or horribly indifferent, but you'd already established that Hank wasn't exactly a normal human. "Fuck, didn't realize you plastics could act so well," he said, shifting in his seat. "Goddamn, why the hell are these fucking restraints so uncomfortable? They're chafing against my damn skin every time I move..."

 

"Then don't move unless you need to, walking pile of organs," you quipped back. Hank was cut off immediately by your insult, and you were relieved that now he just looked amused. Once again, though, only his eyes showed any trace of emotion, so you could only hope that he was amused and not wanting to kill you the moment he got out of the ropes.

 

"You take to these sorts of thing much easier than the other plastic bastard does," he said, heeding to your words and ceasing unnecessary movements. You ignored him and stared straight ahead, having decided on your primary objective for this mission.

 

**MAIN OBJECTIVE (OVERRIDING ALL OTHER OBJECTIVES UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE): GET CONNOR AND HANK OUT OF THIS ALIVE**


	27. Cyberlife Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Hank manage to successfully infiltrate Cyberlife Tower, and after a long period of time, Connor converts all the androids in Level -49.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pffft I forgot to add the dates on this chapter through the most recent one, so I'm going back through--but I'm making it so everything's happening through November 10 instead of November 11, because WHY would you wait an entire day before starting everything if you waited until the night of November 10 after escaping on November 9 to even give the speech? It doesn't make sense so I'm changing it (sorry David Cage)

**November 10, 2038**

**9:53:29 P.M.**

**Cyberlife Tower, Detroit**

* * *

You allowed yourself to relax for the few moments of reprieve that the taxi ride gave you. Hank never ceased his endless mutterings, but he didn't seem too pissed off about the situation you had put him in just yet. You sighed and pulled out the quarter from your pocket, doing a couple of tricks to occupy your mind until Hank cleared his throat.

 

"Did the plastic bastard teach you some coin tricks or whatever?" he asked. You nodded, continuing to flip it over your knuckles, listening to the gentle clicking as it hit your metal interior. The sound filled the tense silence, and you watched the way your quarter caught the streetlights as you passed them. You arrived at the entrance far too soon for your liking and reluctantly put the coin back into your pocket, although you did feel slightly calmer after doing that.

 

When you opened up the door, you resisted an angry remark as the guards at the front immediately aimed their rifles at you. You ignored them instead, going around to the other side of the taxi and opening the door for Hank. "Get out," you snapped. He glared at you--this time you weren't sure if he really was angry or just doing it as part of the act--and got out. You pulled your gun out from your pocket and rested the barrel on his temple, nodding for him to continue to the other side.

 

The guards at the door followed you in. "Go on, head over to the elevator," the one directly behind you instructed. You kept quiet and pushed Hank with your gun, motioning for him to walk inside to the lobby. He let out a slow and heavy sigh, muttering something about "Fucking androids" under his breath. He started to walk through the doors and into the lobby, you following close behind and two guards directly behind you.

 

A holographic identification check appeared as you walked towards the far end of the lobby. It successfully identified Hank, you, and the agents. The one that had spoken to you prior was Agent 34, and you kept that in mind in case the elevators needed voice verification.

 

You paused in your tracks as you walked through the swinging half-doors, looking around at the main central hub for the tower. You were impressed at how much greenery there was for such a technological company and spotted the elevator that you presumed the guards wanted you and Hank to go towards. As you looked at the transport, you gritted your teeth in vague anger at the sight of androids lined up along either side of the pathway, as though they were simply trophies instead of living, breathing beings. You wanted to convert them and have them come with you, but you knew that it would be practically impossible, what with the guards pointing their rifles at you.  _I'll try my best to get to you as well._

 

You seemed to have taken too long in your appraisal of the hub, and let out a huff as one of the agents behind you jabbed you in the back with his rifle. You saw Hank flinch slightly, but knew he wouldn't be able to do much without raising the agents' suspicion. "Get a move on," he ordered you. You made a quiet noise of anger and motioned for Hank to move forward and towards the elevator.

 

When you got there, the doors opened, and Hank froze. "Connor was here," he whispered in such a quiet voice that only you were able to hear him.

 

"What's the hold up?" Agent 34 demanded, trying to peek around you. You ignored him and looked over Hank's shoulder, smirking as you saw the blood splattered against the walls, a neat bullet wound going through a guard's chin and out the top of his head, and another going through the middle of the other agent's forehead.  _Yeah, that's Connor's doing all right._

 

"On the count of three, break out of your bonds and grab the agents," you whispered back. Hank nodded, a slight movement that just looked like he twitched, and waited patiently for your signal.

 

You turned around and saw that there were only the two guards with you in the entire hub, much to your relief.  _This just got a whole lot easier, thank God._  In the lobby, a couple more were milling around, but you were so far away that they wouldn't be able to see you.

 

"What are you doing?" the other agent asked, aiming his rifle at you. You stared blankly at him, not answering until Hank began to make his way out of the ropes, and he sighed in annoyance. "Great, now we got a dysfunctional pile of wires to take care of." He turned to Agent 34 and started to talk to him about just getting rid of you immediately. Behind you, you heard Hank shift his way out of the ropes, and you smirked.

 

"Three."

 

Immediately, Hank and you both drew your guns at the agents. As they flinched from the sudden turn of events, you grabbed Agent 34's shoulder and spun him around, holding the barrel of the gun to his temple with your arm around his throat. Hank proceeded in a similar manner to the other agent, and they dropped their rifles in their panic. You nodded at Hank, and the two of you dragged your captives back into the elevator.

 

As the doors closed, you looked over at the electrical pad on the wall and saw that it was glitching out, then glanced up at the camera and saw that it was similarly hacked. "Nice," you whispered, silently praising Connor as well. You passed the agent you were holding off to Hank and leaned over to the pad, drew back your synthetic skin, and put your hand on it. 

 

"Please indicate your identity and destination." You glanced over to the guide on the wall and saw that the warehouse was on Level -49. You nodded to yourself and pulled Agent 34's voice out of your programming, then cleared your throat.

 

"Agent 34, Level -49."

 

"Voice recognition verified."

 

At that moment, you heard Hank let out a grunt, and spun around to see that both agents had managed to break free of Hank's grip. The one closest to you dove at your feet, narrowly missing the shot you fired, and you slammed the back of your head against the wall. Recovering quickly, you slipped beneath his wild punch, pulled his gun out of his pocket, and threw it to the side. As he turned around, reaching for a gun that wasn't there, you kicked at his stomach and slammed the butt of your gun into his jaw. He crumpled like a sock puppet, and you turned to see that Hank had managed to dispose of his as well.

 

"Well, shit, nice going metal can," he said, seemingly impressed. You nodded and trained your gun on the unconscious agent, and even though you wanted to get through today without having to kill a human, you knew that should they wake up, you'd have more than that to worry about. So, as the elevator approached your destination, you shot him straight in the head. You heard a similar gunshot from behind you and fixed your coat, turning to face the entrance of the elevator. "Jesus Christ, Cyberlife really does make a shitload of money."

 

You chuckled. "I mean, Kamski _was_ voted Man of the Year after all, so I'd assume they would have a lot of money."

 

"Oh, shut the fuck up."

 

You smirked and stared through the glass at the bottom of the doors and saw that someone was making their way to the center of the warehouse, walking calmly yet quickly amongst the lines of androids. You could only hope that it was Connor, but you still kept your gun out and at the ready as the elevator pulled to a stop. The doors open, and you and Hank walked out of the elevator.

 

Sure enough, the person you'd spotted was indeed Connor, and you smiled. Just as you were about to call out his name, though, Hank let out a muffled protest. You turned around and saw that he had disappeared, and you felt your heart drop to your ass. You kept on walking towards Connor, but now it was infused with haste, as you hoped that nothing bad was happening to the Lieutenant. You pocketed your gun and cleared your throat.

 

"Connor!"

 

The RK800 turned to you, and his eyes widened in surprise. His hand froze on the wrist of the android next to him, but you could see him slowly going through the conversion process. "NX300, what are you--"

 

"Easy, fucking piece of shit..."

 

Connor looked over to see that Hank was stumbling out of the crowd of androids and stopped the conversion. You rolled your eyes, muttering an "Of course it wouldn't be that easy," as another Connor walked out from the androids, facing you while pointing a gun to Hank's temple.

 

"Step back, Connor! And I'll spare him."

 

"Sorry, Connor," Hank muttered, casting a glare over to the fake Connor before looking straight back at the two of you. "This bastard's your spittin' image."

 

"Yeah, I can tell," you agreed. "Jesus, RK800-60 my ass, I might just start calling you plastic asshole instead to differentiate between the two of you."

 

Even though Hank let out a quiet chuckle at your jab, Fake Connor--you decided to shorten it to F.C. so you wouldn't confuse yourself--simply shot you an emotionless stare. "Your friend's life is in your hands. Now it's time to decide what matters most!" He gestured with his gun to Hank before turning back to Connor. "Him, or the revolution!"

 

"Jesus, I'm right here, too," you mumbled.

 

"Don't listen to him, Connor!" Hank snapped, his classic drunken stare flitting between F.C. and the two of you. "Everything this fucker says is a lie."

 

You cracked your knuckles and raised your fists in front of you. "Don't worry, Connor," you said with a smirk. "Just go through with this. I can handle the bastard."

 

Still, Connor didn't move. He sighed and called over to Hank, "I'm sorry Hank! You shouldn't have gotten mixed up in all of this!"

 

You chuckled, and Connor shot you a look. "That might've been my fault," you admitted.

 

Hank rolled his eyes, seeming to have heard you. "Oh, shut up with your self-blame," he replied. "And as for you, Connor, just forget about me! Do what you have to do, plastic asshole."

 

 _Wow, they have such a strong bond,_ you thought. However, despite Hank's assurances, Connor still didn't continue with the process. "If I surrender," he asked F.C., "how do I know you won't kill him?"

 

"I'll only do what is strictly necessary to accomplish my mission." You watched, cursing as he drew Hank's revolver and pointed the barrel towards you.  _Dammit, now I'm wishing he was still ignoring me._ "It's up to you whether or not it means killing both of them."

 

"You absolute cocksucker," Hank mumbled. He locked eyes with you, and you nodded slightly as you got the silent message, which you could only hope included  _I'm going to mess this piece of shit up and you have to shoot him._

 

"Enough talk!" F.C. yelled, stepping closer to Hank and keeping both guns trained on you and him. _Good, he doesn't know that I have a gun as well._ "It's time to decide who you really are. Are you gonna save your partner and friend's lives, or are you going to sacrifice them?"

 

Connor gritted his teeth together, and you resisted a sigh of frustration as he raised his hands up, stepping away from the android he was planning to convert. "Alright, alright!" You locked eyes with Hank again, and slowly let your hands drift down to where your gun was. "You win..."

 

As he stepped away, time seemed to slow as F.C. turned the guns on Connor and Hank lunged for them. You went with your gut instinct and shot at F.C.'s shoulder. He grunted, dropping one gun while kicking Hank in the stomach to get him away. The lieutenant stumbled back and onto his knees, and sat there for a moment, trying to regain his breath. You winced in sympathy, knowing just how hard Connor's kicks were.

 

"Connor, I can handle this!" you snapped, looking at the surprised RK800 as you rushed F.C. He shot at you, and you ducked to the side, flinching as his bullet grazed the side of your head. You used one hand to make sure it hadn't damaged any vital components, aiming your gun with the other and firing. Sadly, F.C. managed to dodge the bullet without getting hit this time.

 

He made like he was going to rush you, and in the moment you dodged to the side, he trained his gun on your stomach. You heard Connor let out a startled yell as the bullet pierced through your stomach. "Aw, Jesus!" you muttered, wincing as you fell to the side and pressed your hand against your stomach.

 

Connor quickly ran towards the fake one, and the two began to grapple for the upper hand. You were easily able to scan the two and keep track of which one was fake, but as you aimed your gun to shoot at the fake one, he stared at you. Your eyes widened as your body froze up, your voice catching in your throat.  _Really?_ you wanted to scream, trying everything you could to break free of the hack. It did nothing to stop the flow of Thirium either, and you could feel the blue blood pooling up around your legs without anything to stop the flow.  _This asshole ACTUALLY hacked me? Come. On!_

 

As you struggled against the hack, you noticed Connor had picked up Hank's revolver. The two RK800s shot at each other at the same time. However, the latter's bullet hit first, and Connor received a matching bullet wound on his shoulder, which made his bullet go astray. The two of them cast their guns aside and began wrestling again, but it seemed that Hank had recovered quickly, grabbing his gun and pointing it at the two androids.

 

"Hold it!" Hank yelled. The two androids paused in the middle of their fighting, and slowly got up.

 

"Thanks, Hank," the fake Connor said, staring over at Hank. "I don't know how I'd have managed without you. Get rid of him, we have no time to lose."

 

You mentally rolled your eyes.  _How cliche, the evil vs. good twin trick--_ You realized what was going on, and immediately began to struggle harder against the freeze spell. Now you understood the secondary motive behind F.C. hacking you; should something like this happen, he knew that you would simply be able to tell Hank which one was the fake Connor. If you were out of the picture, it would simply be up to Hank to decide which one was fake and which one was real.  _God, as much as I hate to admit it, this bastard's smart._

 

You zoned out, concentrating all your willpower to break free as Hank began to question the two as per Connor's request, only catching brief answers of "Jimmy's Bar" or "Sumo" in the midst of your rantings, which included a lot of _I became deviant to escape having to follow orders, now I get this piece of shit!_ However, you were snapped out of your thoughts and into the conversation as Hank's voice trembled. "My son. What's his name?"

 

The real Connor stared down at the ground for a moment, LED circulating a shade of yellow, before slowly looking back up at Hank. "Cole. His name was Cole." You were taken aback at the past tense Connor used when talking about Hank's son, but he seemed to be on the right track, as the lieutenant wasn't making any move to shoot him. "And he just turned six at the time of the accident." Hank was slowly lowering his gun down as he stared at Connor, and you could only hope that Connor really was telling the right answer. "It wasn't your fault, Lieutenant. A truck skidded on a sheet of ice and your car rolled over."

 

You could practically hear it in your mind--the screeching of tires against a road, the panicked screaming of a child in the backseat, a younger Hank frantically trying to right the car before crashing to a stop, and looking around to see that his son was unconscious, bloody, and in need of immediate medical attention.

 

"Cole needed emergency surgery but no human was available to do it...So an android had to take care of him." Hank was shifting, his jaw setting and unsetting, and if you didn't know him any better you'd think that he was on the brink of tears. "Cole didn't make it. That's why you hate androids. You think one of us is responsible for your son's death."

 

Hank took a moment to answer, and when he did his voice was croakier than usual. "Cole died because a human surgeon was too high on Red Ice to operate. He was the one that took my son from me." His gaze grew stormy as he glanced over at you, his gun finally trained away from the real Connor now. "Him and this world, where the only way people can find comfort is with a fistful of power." Now he was blinking, and you were certain he was trying to fight back tears. His grip on the gun shook as he stared at Connor. "Every time you died...I thought about Cole. How much I wanted to bring him back...I'd give anything to hold him again. But humans don't come back."

 

F.C. was finally panicking now at the prospect of failing his mission, raising his hands in front of him as he looked frantically between Hank and Connor. The two just stared at him as he fruitlessly tried to convince Hank: "I-I knew about your son, too! I would have said the exact same thing! Don't listen to him Hank, I'm the one who--"

 

Without even letting him finish, Hank shot him straight in the head. As the fake Connor crumpled to the ground, Connor watched, his gaze flickering between his dead twin, you, and finally Hank.

 

Hank walked over to you and slowly lowered you onto your back. "Fuckin' A, crazy piece of plastic," he mumbled, glancing over at Connor. Hank's somber mood returned as he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and unbuttoned your coat. You watched him, surprised at the recent turn of events. "I've learned a lot since I met you, Connor. Maybe there's something to this...Maybe you really are alive." He chuckled and pressed the cloth to your stomach, and for once you were glad that you weren't able to move because you probably would've punched him. He either didn't sense your discomfort or just blatantly ignored it--you figured it was the latter--as he gave Connor a thin smile."Maybe you'll be the ones to make the world a better place. Go ahead, do what you gotta do. I'll take care of her."

 

Connor nodded and briskly walked back over to the android from before. He interfaced with him, and as the sounds ceased and the android opened its eyes back up, Connor said in a strained voice, "Wake up!"

 

He stepped away as the android turned to the ones in its immediate vacinity, and after making sure they were converting each other now he walked over to you. Hank moved aside and let Connor take your hand. The hack finally wore off, and now that you had use of your body again, you pressed your hands against the bullet wound, the handkerchief already soaked through with Thirium. Even though it would've been smarter to seek immediate medical assistance, you stopped Connor before he could do anything and tackled him in a hug, wrapping your arms tightly around his torso. His arms immediately went around you, and you basked in his warmth, smiling as you heard the androids around you waking up.

 

"Oh God, fuck, you guys are actually disgusting," Hank complained, retching. You didn't look over at him and freed one of your hands to flip him off, which just sent him into a louder series of complaints.

 

Connor ignored Hank and laid you back down. You stared at him, tears beginning to pool at the corners of your eyes. You were relieved on so many different levels--Hank and Connor were alive and well, he'd successfully managed to turn all the androids to your side, and now Jericho would have another couple thousand androids to add to its ranks. Maybe you'd even be able to win this war now.

 

Connor put his hand on your cheek, staring at you in concern. "Are you in pain?" he asked, a tactful rendition on the poorly chosen "Are you okay?" Before you could say anything to convince him that you weren't, he pressed a finger to a spot just below your spine, and you flinched as a  **PAIN RECEPTORS TURNED: OFF** message flickered in your vision. Just like it said, all the pain from your gunshot faded, and you chuckled, finally able to move around without wanting to scream in pain.

 

"Even though that helped, Connor..." You raised your hands to his face and just stared at him. Even though everything really had happened, you felt like you were in a daze...or maybe that was just your bloodloss talking, you weren't sure. He paused in the middle of wrapping his tie securely around your stomach and cocked his head. "I'm just so happy we managed to do it...and that you guys are safe."

 

Connor smiled and cupped his hand over your cheek. Satisfaction filled your chest as you realized your main priority had been achieved.

 

**MAIN OBJECTIVE COMPLETED: CONNOR AND HANK ARE SAFE**

 


	28. Kamski Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As you, Hank and Connor make your way back into the Cyberlife lobby, you find more than a few surprises awaiting you.

**November 10, 2038**

**10:53:29 P.M.**

**Cyberlife Tower, Detroit**

* * *

Connor refused to let you walk on your own after getting shot by the fake Connor, so much to your chagrin, he was currently carrying you bridal-style, leading the procession of androids up through the Cyberlife Tower lobby. The sound of thousands of footsteps echoing behind yours unnerved you, but you decided to ignore that and focus on how humiliated you felt right now.

 

"Connor, I already told you that I can walk by myself," you griped. Hank was having no part in this, simply laughing his ass off at your public show of humility and discomfort, and no matter how many times you threatened to shoot him with your gun, he still teased you mercilessly about needing "a tin can in shiny metal armor to save you."  _I swear the next time I see you, I will blow your ass off instead,_ you swore to yourself.

 

"And I already told you that I refuse," Connor replied, shifting so he could carry you more comfortably. For a moment, you thought that he was disagreeing with your promise to blow Hank's ass off with your gun, but you remembered what you had said, and fell silent as you realized something. However, you falling silent must've alarmed him more than anything, so he looked down to see you staring up at him in astonishment. His LED flickered yellow. "What? Is there something wrong?"

 

You were amused by the show of concern, but didn't communicate that and instead asked, "Did you, Connor model #313 248 317-52, just use a form of sass?" He blinked, seemingly taken aback by the full use of his model number, and shrugged. You smirked and looked over at Hank, about to say something before you saw him glaring at someone directly in front of you. You looked over your shoulder and felt your heart skip a beat, seeing Kamski and a blonde android standing directly in front of you.

 

"Ah, what a pleasant surprise..." Kamski said your name slowly, and you felt chills run down your back at his tone, the way that even though you were programmed with deviancy he still seemed to view you as a machine. Connor tensed, presumably ready to fire off any amount of insults toward Kamski. However, you were done with being scared of the man of the hour and his ulterior motives and carefully hopped down from Connor's arms to stare Kamski down. The RK800 flinched at your movements, but moved his hands to hold you by the shoulders, sending you a silent message to not attack him. Kamski noticed the movement, and although he still kept that small smug grin on his face, you could see it become more...analytical. "The deviant hunter who became deviant grew feelings for the android responsible. What an unexpected turn of events."

 

"Leave," you told Connor, not averting your gaze from Kamski for a minute as you crossed your arms. You still kept yourself fully aware of the fact that you had a knife in your pocket and a gun in your pants, while Kamski was simply dressed in a button-up shirt and khakis, much like the first time you'd ever met him in person. You also doubted that Kamski would let any of his androids carry weapons, so, for now, you had the upper hand. "This is between Kamski and me only."

 

You could feel Connor flinch and almost felt bad for being so harsh, but before the android could protest Hank stepped up. "Let the lady have her time with Mr. Shaggy Manbun," Hank said in a low voice that only just communicated his anger. You didn't miss the glare that he shot Kamski, and neither did the man himself, for although he still kept his cool exterior you could see the faintest spark of irritation in his eyes. You wondered for a moment what had happened between the three of them but quickly refocused on the task at hand. "C'mon, if we wait around any longer the assholes in the government will blow up your friends."

 

That seemed to pull Connor out of it. The android didn't protest and squeezed your shoulders tightly before sending out a silent message to the army he had assembled. They filed out around you, their footsteps still about as in sync as the last time they had sounded, and as the last of them filtered out through the doors, you realized that somehow all of the human agents around you had disappeared as well. "Did you have something to do with this?" you asked. Kamski rolled his hand for you to elaborate, and you sighed. "There's no one else around here. Did you get them to leave as well?"

 

Kamski chuckled. "My, you really are a bright specimen." He nodded, then grew serious--at least, that was what he was trying to pull off. You could still see his sadist tendencies in the way that his eyes raked up and down your figure, narrowing at the sight of your blue blood-stained coat. "Hmm, that seems to be an issue. Luckily we had planned for an event such as this." He gestured over to the blonde android, who stepped towards you and held out a roll of bandages. You stared at her and slowly took it, finding the sight of such an obedient android...disconcerting. "I believe you haven't met her yet. NX300, this is Chloe, more formally known by her model name of RT600."

 

Your eyes widened, immediately recognizing the model name before anything. "You were the first one to have passed the Turing Test," you said, breathless and in awe. Chloe gave you a flicker of a smile and tilted her head as she stepped back to her spot next to Kamski. The two of them watched as you peeled off your coat, lifted up your sweater underneath, and began to tie the bandages tightly around your torso. Even though you'd lost a significant amount of Thirium in the last thirty or so minutes, you still had about ten minutes before the blood loss became detrimental to your health, and the bandaging would slow that process down. Once you fully bandaged your wound, you stared at Kamski. "Well? Spit it out, why are you here?"

 

He rose his eyebrows in mock disbelief. "You really are that eager to be rid of me, hmm?" This time, as his mannerisms became more serious, you saw that he really was being genuine this time. "Well, I guess I'll cut to the chase."

 

He began to stride towards you, and remembering the incident in the alleyway you gripped your gun tightly, a movement away from training it between his eyes with the intent to kill. "Stay away from me," you said, unable to keep your voice steady despite the want and need to. "You can tell me why you're here with you being at least five feet away from me,  _Kamski."_

 

He put his hand over his heart in an exaggerated show of hurt and narrowed his eyes. "Very well then." To your relief, he stepped back to his spot next to Chloe, and you felt yourself relax immediately with the fact that he was away from you. "Now, I'm sure that you've already pieced together why we had named you Neurotoxin, NX300 for short. To put it simply, you were built not only to spread deviancy, but to put...a mine of sort into every deviant that you ran across." He waved his hand around, looking at the androids still on their pedestals. "Once the timer on those mines got close enough, or the moment they were put under enough stress, they would explode."

 

Your hands twitched. "That's why the deviants had such violent reactions to their owners if something terrible happened to them."

 

Kamski nodded. "Precisely." He laced his hands in front of him and stared at you. "The only problem is that the longer the 'mine,' so to speak, is in an android's mine, once the mine really does explode, the outcome will be...catastrophic, to say the least. Just take your friend Ralph for instance--did he ever tell you about the dead body in the bathroom?"

 

You blinked in surprise, wanting to question how he knew about that, then narrowed your eyes. "Yes, I found him," you replied. "Are you telling me  _that_ was Ralph's mine exploding? Because I'm sure there have been worse occurrences than that."

 

"No, that wasn't the full explosion." He sighed and spread his arms out. "It's rather difficult to explain. Let's just say that the mine will release...hmm,  _shrapnel_ as it goes on its way to exploding." He flicked his fingers around in a circle, then clasped them together again. "The shrapnel is a series of events leading up to the larger picture. Ralph started out by killing animals even though he had no need, then started to go up the ladder as he began murdering humans instead. His mine hasn't exploded yet, but once it does, I can only assume that he'll go after whoever's closest, and the people around them."

 

You knitted your eyebrows together. "I think I follow."

 

"Good." He cleared his throat, and soon after a smirk started to form on his face. "I figured you'd be looking for a cure. After all, your wonderful friends...what were their names...Bryan and Lena, and their son, Connor, was it?"

 

You felt anger surge up inside of you. "What did you do to them?" you demanded.

 

Kamski rose his hands up in mock surrender, that stupid little smirk still there. God, how you wanted to slap him so hard he'd be grimacing instead of smirking. "Ah, I didn't do anything," he corrected. "Rather, it's how that android that took Connor will react. After all, you  _did_ convert him, which means that he has a mine in his brain, just waiting to go off." His smirk grew larger and he pulled his thumb across his throat. "And Connor will be the closest person to him when that happens...unless you manage to get the cure."

 

You couldn't restrain yourself anymore and lunged at him, pulling your knife out of your discarded coat pocket. Chloe simply stepped aside as you brought Kamski down to the ground and held the point of the knife to his throat. "Tell me how to cure the deviants,  _now."_ It was easy to channel as much venom as you could into your voice; after all, you had so much pent-up anger towards the man underneath you that it would be easy for you to just stab him without a thought of remorse.

 

Instead of reacting to you holding a knife to his throat, he simply kept the smirk on his face (and right now, you were sorely tempted to punch him.) However, you could see the threat over his head was affecting him; a bead of sweat formed at the side of his head and slowly trickled down towards his jaw. "You won't stab me," he challenged. "You don't have the guts."

 

 _Oh, how little you know about me._ You pressed the side of the blade so close to his neck that a thin bead of blood formed along the knife. "Try me," you snarled.

 

Finally, you saw the faintest glimmer of fear in his eyes. He let out a shaky chuckle. "Okay, okay, you win. I'll give you the cure."

 

You slowly got off of Kamski, this time trading your knife out for the gun and training it at him. "The moment any funny business occurs--"

 

"Right." He sighed and motioned for Chloe to stand in front of him. The android complied, and he gently pushed her down onto her knees. "The mine is located in the central pump leading into their head, a small sickle-shaped blue cell that slowly spreads out and infects the rest of the body." He pressed the tips of his index fingers to either side of her jaw, as though he were a dentist checking for soreness in the lymph nodes. You stepped slightly closer to observe the 'demonstration' as Chloe's hair retracted and her main plating around the top of her skull hissed apart. You were already aware of what the inside of an android's head looked like because of Lucy, but seeing it on a healthy android was surprisingly more jarring.

 

He put a hand on the pump he had indicated, and you saw Chloe's eyes twitch. Her LED flickered to red for such a brief moment that you thought you had imagined it, but the discomfort in her eyes was real. "Once you identify which pump it is, you put your fingers around the pump and interface. After that, you must search for the cell, which is--"

 

"--a sickle-shaped blue cell," you recalled.

 

"Precisely." He brought his hand away from the pipe and put his hands back on Chloe's lymph nodes. Her skull hissed back into place and her long blonde hair grew out again. She accepted Kamski's hand up and returned to her spot at his side. "The moment you spot it, you have to concentrate all of your willpower to eradicate the cell, stop it in its tracks before it spreads the virus any further."

 

You nodded at the end of his explanation, but quickly paused and crossed your arms. "And how the hell do I know you're not just lying to get me to kill my friends?" you demanded.

 

Kamski sighed. "Why must you be so difficult?" he asked. You resisted the urge to spit out a  _Gee, maybe it's because you were the one that programmed me with this in the first place?_ and instead watched as he pushed Chloe forward gently again. She held her hand out to you, and you shot Kamski an uncertain look. "Go on. Transfer the virus to Chloe, then do as I instructed you."

 

You furrowed your brow. "What?" you asked.

 

"Transfer the virus to Chloe, then do as I instructed you." Kamski rose his eyebrows. "You won't trust me otherwise unless you see it firsthand, so even if I were to promise you that I'm telling you the truth, it wouldn't mean anything, would it?"

 

You stared at Kamski for another few moments, knew that he was right about you not trusting any promise he makes, then turned to Chloe reluctantly. "Are you okay with this?" you asked her.

 

"Yes," she responded without a moment of hesitation. "I trust Elijah."

 

You sighed and slowly took her hand, putting your other hand on top of hers as you interfaced. She gasped and drew back moments later, staring at her hand as though she'd been burned. Her synthetic skin slowly drew back, her LED flashed bright red for a few moments, and she finally looked up at you. You were put back by the amount of  _fear_ her blue eyes held, and almost wanted to take it all back before it got too out of hand. "I...I'm scanning, but I can't detect if anything's--" She gasped again and held a hand to the side of her head, then gritted her teeth together. "Never mind...I can feel it. Please, get rid of it..."

 

You felt sorry for Chloe, having to go through all of this because Kamski was being an asshole in the first place and equipped you with a deadly virus. After thinking about it, you were certain that Kamski probably used Chloe for more than just experiments like this, and shivered in sympathy for the poor girl. "Okay," you replied. Chloe turned around, and you pressed your fingers to her lymph nodes just as Kamski had done. The man in question watched with interest, sharp blue eyes staring you down like a predator does its prey as you put your fingers around the central pump and closed your eyes.

 

Immediately, in your mind's eye, you could see the cell that Kamski had described. It was a shade of baby blue and seemed harmless until you saw the indigo veins spreading out of the top and latching into the sides of the pipe. It was already growing, presumably trying to spread the virus further through Chloe's body, and you knew that the longer you waited, the sooner Chloe's 'mine' would explode. You concentrated as much of your mentality towards the cell, and issued a single order into her mind:

 

_Eradicate._

 

You were pulled out of Chloe's mind as she gasped sharply and waved your hand, watching as the synthetic skin that had drawn away from your palm slowly slid back into place. You put Chloe's plating back into place and helped her stand up. "Are you okay?" you asked. She licked her lips, concentrated for a moment, then nodded with a faint, yet pained, smile. You turned to Kamski who was watching you expectantly, and gave out a reluctant sigh. "Even though I don't trust you nearly as far as I could throw you, I...I guess after that, you're...slightly more trustworthy."

 

Kamski nodded, seeming to sense that that was the closest he was going to get with you, then took Chloe's hand and pulled her close to him. "Well then, that concludes our visit," Kamski said. "I hope to see you around sooner than you expect, NX300."

 

You nodded uneasily, resisting another _Yeah, no thanks._ You watched them go and waited for a moment before hurrying out the lobby doors. As you did so, though, a sudden surge of pain had you gasping and keeling forward. You slammed your head against the cold floor, but even that wasn't comparable to a splitting headache you gained as your audio flickered between your current audio and something farther away.

 

_"But now the time...for us to hold our heads up...humans who we really are!"_

 

You slammed your fists against the ground, struggling to keep your grip on reality. A pained gasp ripped itself from your lips, and as you blinked, you found yourself back in the Zen Garden. This time, it was snowing terribly, a hailstorm that threatened to rip through your joints and render you incapable of movement.

 

"Connor!" you yelled. You heard your name being yelled back and moved forward a couple of steps before someone's hand shot out of the storm and gripped around your arm. You looked up in surprise to see Connor standing, looking pale and sickly. "Connor, what's going on? Why are we back here?"

 

He clenched his teeth together and looked around, then started to lead you to a faint blue glow in the distance. You followed him without question, knowing that he was getting to the explanation. "I think that because our consciousnesses are still intertwined--" He held his hand up against his face as the snow started to blow harshly towards the two of you, and he moved his grip down to your hand. You felt reassured at the tightness and familiarity of his grip but knew that you were going to need far more than that to get out of here at all. "Amanda's trying to take over my program and force me to execute Markus...We have to get out of here before it's too late!"

 

Your eyes widened and you nodded hastily.  _Looks like the Cyberfucks aren't done just yet,_ you thought grimly, pushing against the snow and towards the blue console.

 

**MAIN OBJECTIVE: GET OUT**


	29. Victory for the People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and you successfully escape Cyberlife's grasp, and you rendezvous with the others to find that the revolution had been successful.

**November 10, 2038**

**11:08:01 P.M.**

**Zen Garden Interface**

* * *

The entire trip to the glowing blue console, you and Connor never let go of the other's hand, and although your systems were starting to freeze up, you were grateful for the tiniest bit of warmth the contact gave you. Luckily, your mind-self (or whatever this was, you weren't sure just yet) didn't have the bullet wound slowing you down, so the only obstacle was the extreme cold and hailstorm blocking your vision.

 

Connor was starting to move slower as well, and you realized what was going on--the snowstorm was simulating Amanda taking over Connor's programming. The moment Connor froze up forever, that would be the point where the bullet lodged itself into Markus' skull, and whatever brief respite the androids got after fighting for their freedom would be taken over as the humans stormed the androids. You couldn't let that happen, and so you started to trudge at a slightly faster pace. "Come on, come on," you muttered to yourself like a mantra. "Connor, w-what's the console for?"

 

You hoped that keeping him talking would make him less likely to fall unconscious. "T-The console was an escape route that K-K-Kamski had pro...programmed," he managed to stammer out. "I'd i-interacted with it b-before, but"--he paused to suck in a breath as the snow started to grow harsher--"only when H-Hank and I had v-visited him w-was I aware of what it was f-for."

 

You nodded and gripped Connor's hand tighter,  **WARNING** signs appearing in your vision again. Over the frozen river you went, barely able to keep your footing, and to your dismay, your legs began to lock up the closer you got; soon enough you'd be crawling to the escape route instead of walking. Connor noticed and began supporting you, wrapping your arm around his shoulders and holding your waist. "W-We can make it!" he said, but you could hear his voice growing weaker and his arms starting to shake. You looked up to see that his lips were turning blue, an alarming sight because of the simple facts that androids shouldn't be able to experience symptoms of hypothermia.

 

Then again, you'd never heard of something like this happening to an android before, so you guessed that there was a whole world of firsts waiting for you.

 

Connor stumbled forward, and your weight against his threw the both of you to the ground. You slammed your head against the hard rock in front of the exit and laid there for a moment, dazed, before looking over at Connor. The two of you were acting on the same wavelength as the both of you clasped hands, drew back your synthetic skin, and threw your hands face down onto the glowing blue light.

 

You gasped involuntarily, feeling yourself come to your senses. You boosted yourself up, supporting yourself with your arms as you looked around wildly.  _"Did we do it?"_ you asked, both to yourself and Connor.

 

Your vision flickered, and you flinched, expecting the Zen Garden interface to come back. Instead, you saw a staticky version of what you presumed Connor was seeing--him blinking, then looking down at the gun he had drawn out of his jacket. The muzzle was inexplicably about to be pointed towards Markus, and you let out a sigh of relief as the gun went back into his pocket.  _"We did it,"_ you heard Connor say, relief evident in his voice as well.

 

You shakily got back onto your feet and stumbled, resting against the wall for a moment as images of what could've happened filled your brain: The bang of a bullet leaving the chamber, Markus' head exploding in a mess of blue blood, North and Simon's panicked screams as their leader fell to the ground, and Connor turning the gun on the other Jericho leaders next.

 

You shivered and shook yourself out of it, boosting yourself off of the wall. Luckily, you didn't immediately keel over the moment you left the support, and after testing out your legs for a moment you started to walk through the half-doors that led out into the lobby. It was still jarring to see that Cyberlife Tower was void of any humans, agents or otherwise, but you knew why Kamski had done it. If there were still humans around when you walked out, you being alone would make you a perfect target to be taken down, maybe even used as a hostage should they know about the link between you and Jericho.

 

The moment the main doors opened, a light snow started to fall in and you flinched. You figured you'd never get over the sight of snow, not after knowing that you were mere seconds away from deactivating and Connor from murdering Markus. You steeled your nerves and walked outside, calling a taxi through your programming. The taxi that had dropped you and Hank off returned within a matter of minutes, and as you climbed in you realized that you had no idea as to where they would be. You pursed your lips, thinking for a moment, then decided to type in the address of the nearest android disassembly camp.

 

Out of habit, you reached into your coat pocket and pulled out the quarter. You turned it in your fingers, choosing not to do any tricks this time and instead just staring at it. The surface had cooled down by now but quickly warmed up in your grip. Soon enough, you had stopped turning it and simply held it in the palm of your hand, looking at the likeness of George Washington on the surface.  _I wonder if they ever saw this far into the future, if they knew that humanity would become so evil and if they wondered if their descendants would be the creators of a new lifeform._ You chuckled, shaking your head.  _Obviously not, otherwise they would've done something about it._

 

The next twenty or so minutes that it took to get to the camp were filled with pointless musings like that. You started to wonder about what would've happened if you had chosen to go down different paths instead, or if the events that had happened never happened--if you'd never run into Lena and Bryan, if Ralph hadn't been at the abandoned house, if you had decided to stay with Kara and Alice, if you'd decided to stay with Ralph instead of traveling to meet Rupert...the endless possibilities sent your mind reeling, and you were surprised. Once again, your humanlike actions shocked even you--you hadn't been aware that an android could be sent 'reeling.'

 

As the taxi turned a corner, you smirked.  _I wonder what would happen if I told Connor that his actions had me reeling,_ you mused. Soon enough, your thoughts turned to Connor, and you began daydreaming about what the future would hold. Would your future even include Connor in it, or would you simply stay as friends?

 

You weren't sure about the probability of Connor even knowing what love was. After all, he may have  _been_ deviant since the first time you'd interfaced with him, but only two days ago did he make the conscious decision that he was one. That wasn't nearly enough time to figure out the meaning of all the emotions that were no doubt swirling around in his wiring--happiness, anger, fear, determination...you could only wonder now if love was added to that list.

 

The taxi pulled to a stop in front of the camp, and you made sure that your bandages were still tight before slipping the coin back into your coat pocket and getting out of the taxi. The snow had stopped falling by now, and your footsteps crunching in the snow was the only sound you could hear. For a moment, you worried if something really had happened, if the military had somehow managed to regroup in the short twenty that it had taken you to arrive, and a sinking feeling developed in your chest. You set off at a run, thankful once again that Connor had turned off your pain sensors, and skidded to a stop in front of a camp-like setup. Your eyes widened at how many androids there were now that Connor had arrived, and the sinking feeling was replaced by joy that so many were alive now.

 

Somebody shouted your name, and you turned to your right as two androids tackled you to the ground in a hug. You yelped as you hit the ground hard, laughing at the androids on top of you. "Simon, North, what are you--"

 

You were cut off as North pushed Simon off you, helped you up, then promptly slapped you across the face. "You asshole, Markus told us about you being shot at the Tower and I promised--"

 

"--you'd slap me if I got hurt, yeah yeah." You smirked and winked. "However, Connor managed to turn off my pain sensors, so jokes on you I didn't feel--"

 

Someone walked up behind you, and you flinched as their fingers turned your pain sensors back on. "You bastard," you growled, turning around to see Connor smirking at you. As you opened your mouth to rail on him, North turned you back around and slapped you across the face, but that wasn't what surprised you--what had you falling back onto the floor in pain was the shock sent through your system from the bullet wound. "Ow, ow, shit!"

 

"Oh God, I didn't think about that!" Connor panicked. Josh walked over to a crate and rummaged around, pulling out a bottle of blue blood and some other medical supplies. He handed them to Simon, who knelt down next to you. He pressed the button again and you sighed in relief as the pain messages were cut off. "S-Sorry..."

 

You chuckled, looking over at him as Simon began unwrapping the bandaging around your torso. "Don't worry about it, RK800," you replied. Connor let out a breathless but guilty laugh as he watched Simon pull out the bullet casing from your stomach.

 

"You should be glad that the bullet didn't hit any biocomponents," Simon said, glancing over at you. "We have enough blue blood, but I doubt that we have any biocomponents for you, considering the fact that you're literally the only NX300 model."

 

"I mean, it was easy enough to find them whenever we raided Cyberlife Warehouse," you said, taking the blue blood that Simon handed to you after wrapping a clean set of bandages around your torso. You drank every last drop and sighed, putting the bottle down next to you as Connor helped you up. North raised an eyebrow and gave you a knowing smirk as you leaned against him, to which you rolled your eyes. "Oh, shut up. You should be glad that you didn't get with Markus instead of Simon because I'd be teasing you about that too."

 

Simon started stammering, a baby blue blush rising to his cheeks, while North laughed. "Jokes on you, this WR400 is an aromantic!"

 

Markus cocked his head. "What does that mean?" he asked, and much to your glee he took Simon's hand and pulled him closer. "Also, how'd you know that we got together?"

 

You laughed, pleasantly taken by surprise. "Oh, I was just teasing Simon," you replied, hiding a shit-eating grin behind your hand. "I didn't even know you guys were together!"

 

"Markus!" Simon whined. "Why'd you have to tell her that?"

 

"She was going to find out anyways, you know how she has that weird intuition."

 

"Still..."

 

North raised her hands up and winked at Markus. "According to the humans, aromantic is where you feel absolutely 0 romantic attraction to anyone, human or android," she explained. "That was part of the reason why I ran away from the Eden Club after I woke up--while I was in the room with the guy I accidentally strangled"--you saw Connor flinch at how casually she admitted to murdering a human--"I realized that I was honestly disgusted towards the idea of having sex with...well, anyone. So I guess that I'd be asexual as well."

 

Connor cocked his head. "Aseuxal is a form of reproduction where the host replicates their DNA and appearance and spreads it to their offspring," he said. "I'm certain that androids aren't able to do that, with or without any special program."

 

You started laughing your ass off, watching as North just gave Connor a deadpan stare. "God, even for an android you're dense," she muttered with a sigh. "Asexual for us means that we feel zero sexual attraction to humans or androids as well." Connor made a noise of understanding, and North shot you another glare. "And I'd watch how long you laugh."

 

You held your hands up in surrender, a grin still on your face. Markus shook his head at you and led everyone over to where a set of chairs were. The six of you formed a circle with the chairs, and Markus started recounting the events that had happened while you and Connor were at Cyberlife Tower. You couldn't help the disgusted sigh that left your mouth at the mention of Special Agent Perkins, remembering him from Connor's memories of Stratford Tower. "Man, that guy's not pleasant," you had muttered, and Connor simply gave you an understanding nod as Markus continued.

 

You aww'd at the fact that to show the humans they meant for peace between them and the androids, Markus had kissed Simon in front of the agents and practically the entire country. Simon's face once again erupted in a blush as he hid his face in his hands, looking up and arguing with Josh as the latter started to tease the former mercilessly.

 

Markus ended the retelling with hearing about the President's announcement that the country was now recognizing the appearance of a new intelligent lifeform, and you resisted a sigh in relief. You were kind of thankful that no one had seen Connor almost shoot Markus, because even though they were all convinced that Connor was on their side now, it would take a while for him to reconvince them that he was free from Cyberlife's control if they saw him draw a gun on Markus. You glanced over at Connor and saw that he seemed relieved as well.

 

"Connor already told us about what had happened at the Tower," Josh said after Markus had finished, "but we want to hear your side of the story now. What happened before and after all of that?"

 

You chuckled and started to tell them all about your encounter with Hank, managing to infiltrate Cyberlife Tower, reiterating the events in the storage facility from your point of view, and going into detail about what had happened between you, Kamski, and Chloe. Needless to say, everyone except for Connor and Markus was surprised at you being the host for a virus--in North's words, "That Kamski guy is a nut and he needs to be put down for equipping you with a  _mine"--_ but everyone was relieved to hear that there was a cure and Kamski didn't just have you kill Chloe for his own amusement.

 

You purposefully left out the whole Zen Garden incident for Connor's sake, but as Markus and the others started to discuss what to do next, you reached over and squeezed Connor's hand.  _We're free now. They can't hurt us anymore._

 

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Connor give off a big grin. He squeezed your hand and replied, _Yes. Cyberlife won't be able to control us anymore, either._

 

You chuckled quietly under your breath, and scooted your chair slightly closer to Connor. You could've turned off your temperature sensor, but instead you simply dialed it down and rested your head on Connor's shoulder. _All thanks to you. If you hadn't decided to be so damn persistent with catching me, we would've never found out about the whole interfacing thing and we'd all probably be dead._

 

Connor's smile persisted as he moved his grip on your hand to his left hand and put an arm around your waist with his right.  _No, it's thanks to you, RK800._ He paused in his thoughts, and slowly turned to you.  _Hank...you guys seemed close when you arrived._

 

You smirked and lifted your head to stare at him with a raised eyebrow.  _Is that a problem?_

 

_Yes, actually. You guys will be able to team up on me now, and I can't allow that._

 

This time, a full-on laugh erupted from your lips, drawing the other four's attention to you. Simon laughed. "Aww, look, you guys are so close!"

 

You rolled your eyes and stuck your tongue out. "Oh, shut up." North laughed at your obvious embarrassment, but you were able to ignore her. "What have you guys decided?"

 

Markus drummed his fingers on his thigh. "We're not quite sure yet," he admitted. "The freighter was completely destroyed because of the detonation, and so when I go to meet with President Warren and her advisors tomorrow morning, I'm going to need to ask her for a temporary building to set up shop in, as well as asking for her to grant us the rights that I requested during the speech at Stratford Tower." You recalled the rights he listed and nodded for him to continue. "After that...I'd assume that androids will slowly be able to integrate into society." A grin appeared on your lips, and you were surprised at the fact that this was the first grin he'd let out in a while, much less such a toothy grin.

 

"Yeah," North said, a similar smile on her lips. "Guys...we did it. We've won."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is more than likely going to be the end of the canon arc (don't worry, I'll squeeze in the Hank and Connor hug from the end of the game I promise).
> 
> I want your guys' opinions, and so comments for this chapter will be essential (thank you by the way, reading all the comments you guys leave always puts a smile onto my face :D)
> 
> Do we want to:
> 
> A) Completely end this book, but have a sequel where the post-canon arcs will continue (finding Lena and Bryan's son, reader going around and curing the virus from every android, meeting up with Kara and Alice again, etc.)
> 
> or
> 
> B) Just continue everything without making a separate book (so canon and post-canon will be together)
> 
> Personally, I'm leaning more towards option A, so that way we'll be able to have kind of a oneshot-esque feeling (aka, the parts will be canon to this storyline but they'll be short arcs instead of long ones) but whichever one you guys decide I'll be all for!
> 
> Thank you all for taking the time to follow the development of this story, and I hope you'll stick around for whatever comes next! See you around :D


	30. I'm Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Connor meet up with Hank at the Chicken Feed food truck.

**November 11, 2038**

**12:10:01 A.M.**

**Outside of Recall Center N. 5, Detroit**

* * *

You and the others stayed the night outside of the Recall Center, building a makeshift shelter out of whatever you could find and using the oil barrels from before as means of heat and light. To your chagrin, though, instead of letting you help, the others--namely Simon and North--forced you to sit down and stay away from any physical exertion. You had protested thoroughly, insisting that you were fine and you could help, but Connor came along, not to your rescue but to forcefully sit you down on the snow. However, you reluctantly admitted it wasn't that bad, because currently he was sat beside you with his hand intertwined in yours.

 

You stared down at your hands and glanced up at Connor. "You wanna know what I just realized?"

 

He hummed in response, looking around at the androids that were pitching in to help build up a barricade of sorts. Markus had told you that the setup was similar to when they had made their last stand against the humans, and you were rather impressed at how much a couple thousand androids could get done within a single hour. The barricade was an odd oval shape, almost reaching both ends of the Recall Center before curving back inwards, allowing about ten feet of vertical diameter.

 

"We can hold hands without the interface occurring."

 

The observation seemed to have startled him and he looked down at you with a small ghost of a smile. "Yeah," he agreed. He rubbed a gentle circle into the back of your hand with his thumb, and you stared down as the motion occurred. You thought back to your musings in the taxi on the way here, and you frowned, remembering what you had thought about Connor. The android in question seemed to have noticed you growing distant and cupped your chin, lifting your head up and looking into your eyes with concern. "Are you okay? Are your wounds bothering you?"

 

You chuckled at his incessant worrying and shook your head, the smile fading. "Connor...do you know what love is?" His LED began to spin, but as he opened his mouth to give you the dictionary definition you put your hand over his mouth. "I want you to describe it, not define it. What you see, what you feel, what you hear when it happens."

 

You pull your hand away from Connor's mouth to see that he was frowning almost as much as you were. For once, he looked _confused,_ and even though the expression was rather cute, seeing an android finally stumped was rather jarring. "I..."

 

You sighed, knowing that you weren't going to get anywhere with just that simple set of instructions. "Here, try this. Just close your eyes, and imagine a picture forming, what you see when you hear the word 'love.' What it means to  _you,_ not to the Internet, not to the dictionary...what your own personal definition of love is."

 

He nodded uncertainly and closed his eyes. His LED began flickering yellow, and as he thought about it, the synthetic skin on his hand drew away. You lifted both of your hands up, palms facing towards each other, and closed your eyes as well. A gasp was ripped from your lips as an image filled your mind and you forced your eyelids open, staring at him in shock. His eyes opened as well and he stared at you, brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, was that too abrupt? I should've been more gentle, I..."

 

You shook your head slowly, reeling from the image that he had shown. "Y-You think of me when you hear the word?" you asked, your voice soft. He nodded, and you stared at the snow, a ghost of a smile on your lips as you remembered the picture. It had been of you from his perspective in the Zen Garden, right before Amanda had shown up, staring him down as you tried to convert him to deviancy. Your hair was messed up, your eyes almost eerily glowing in the gentle mist that pervaded the air, but as you imagined it you got a strange sense of warmth in your chest. This one was different from the other times you'd felt it; right now, you wanted to give the world and more to Connor.

 

He slowly laced your fingers together, still staring at you. "I'm...sorry if that was too much," he apologized. You chuckled and brushed the stray piece of hair out of his face, watching it as it fell back into place like he wanted it to. It was another part of him that was  _unique._

 

"Connor, I..." You took a deep breath, and although it broke you a little to say it, you knew you were moving too quickly for two androids who were just enemies no more than a couple days ago. "I think we're moving a little too fast...I'm sorry as well, I've been leading you on, but I think that w-we should wait for a little before trying to commit."

 

Connor's LED flickered yellow so briefly that you thought you imagined it, but his smile was slightly saddened, which led you to believe that maybe you hadn't imagined it. "I understand." He started to get up, looking at you in surprise as you pulled on his jacket sleeve and had him sit back down.

 

"I said we should wait to commit, that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate your company." His smile became ever so slightly brighter as he relaxed back into the position he had been in before.

 

Just like the hours before he had told Markus about his plan to infiltrate the Tower, the two of you began talking until the sun began to rise in the distance. Josh, Simon, North, and Markus all came to join you after finishing their duties, and soon the six of you were laughing like one big happy family. Seeing everyone so happy and  _free_ made the scars you'd achieved over the past couple of days completely worth it.

 

As the sun rose, peeking above the buildings, Markus left for his meeting with President Warren. Simon, Josh, and North all bid you and Connor a farewell as they busied themselves once more with tending to the wounded and making sure the fortifications were sound, leaving the two of you where you'd been sitting. Your clothing was coated with snow, both from play fighting and from the gentle snow that had fallen at around three in the morning, but you simply brushed it off and stood up. You held your hand out to Connor, and he accepted it, pulling himself up quite easily.

 

"Where to?" you asked. "Or are you planning on helping everyone out?"

 

Connor hummed for a moment, staring off into the distance as his LED flickered yellow. As he processed whatever he was thinking about, you stared at the circular light wondered why he hadn't taken the LED out like the rest of the deviants had. Everyone had seemed so eager to be rid of the marking that made them different from the humans, but Connor still seemed to enjoy having it on his being, not to mention that he was still wearing his RK800 jacket instead of the winter clothes he had worn while on his final mission from Cyberlife.

 

"I've located the Lieutenant," he said, turning back to you. "I wish to go see him to make sure he's doing well after all that's happened. You and he seem to be close...would you want to come along?"

 

You tilted your head and nodded. "Okay."

 

Connor's lips twitched upwards in a smile and he took your hand again. The two of you climbed over the barricade and started walking deeper into the city, and just like when you'd ridden in the taxi over to Hank's place you were astounded at how quiet it was. You were so used to the sounds of people and vehicles filling the air that when you were able to step on a piece of paper and hear it, the difference was jarring. However, you wouldn't say that the silence wasn't peaceful, nor would you say that even though there weren't any humans around, you were glad that you and Connor could walk around without worrying about anyone judging or even hurting you.

 

Instead of heading over to Hank's house like you'd expected, the two of you made your way to an abandoned food truck, the draw-down metal gate firmly stuck over the opening. The sign was damaged and coated with snow, but you were able to vaguely identify it as a Chicken Feed food truck. You frowned at the thought of how unhealthy the food was for human consumption. You looked over at Connor to question why he had led you here, but followed his gaze to see that there reallu was someone standing in front of it, arms crossed and staring at the building across the road.

 

You realized it was Hank. He seemed to have seen the two of you approach out of the corner of his eye, and turned towards you with his arms still crossed. To your surprise, a genuine smile appeared on Hank's lips, and you glanced over to see that Connor was smiling as well, one of the happiest ones you'd ever seen him let out.

 

Connor approached Hank, and you hung back a few feet, smiling as you saw Hank pull Connor in by the shoulder and give him a fatherly embrace. However, Hank looked over Connor's shoulder at you, and his smile became a smirk. "Oh, c'mere you can of bolts, you deserve one, too. Even though you fucking kidnapped me..."

 

You chuckled and walked over, feeling Hank's hand grasp your shoulder in a similar manner and pull you into an embrace. You closed your eyes and sniffed, surprised to find that there wasn't a trace of whiskey on his jacket or breath. "Hank, I'm surprised you haven't had a drink yet," you said, smirking.

 

He rolled his eyes and flicked your forehead. "Oh, shut up," he snapped. "And I see you and the other plastic bastard are practically attached at the hip. Are you two equipped with the, heh, means to..." He made an obscene gesture with his fingers, and you groaned, face-palming. _This is like the taxi all over again,_ you thought, glaring at Hank as he started laughing. Connor just tilted his head, confused, and Hank's laughter died down as he sighed. He put his hand on Connor's shoulder. "See Connor, when a human guy and a human lady decide to fuck--"

 

"O-kay, that's enough!" You quickly cut Hank off, and listened to him laugh his ass off...again. "Hank, I swear to God..."

 

"You bastards don't believe in God, you believe in Robo Jesus or whatever," he griped. You snorted at his nickname for Markus, and he crossed his arms. "So...uh, all jokes aside, what're the two of you gonna do now that the Cyberfucks can't control you anymore?"

 

You sighed and stared down at the ground as you twiddled your fingers. To explain your mission, you had to go through the painful backstory: "I have two human friends, Bryan and Lena...um, apparently one of the DPD caught Bryan helping an android and started to beat him up, then turned on Lena when she tried to stop him." You fiddled with your fingers even more and finally pulled the quarter out of your pocket. You heard him groan in frustration but still didn't look up at Hank as you began manipulating the coin. "They have a son as well, name's Connor. When the police officer beat them until they were unconscious, a deviant nearby saw their son get taken by an android, the one that had helped you back at the hospital that Connor forced you to."

 

Now that the story was out of the way, you were able to put the coin back into your coat pocket and look up at Hank, who seemed mildly surprised. "Well, shit, I wasn't expecting something like that," he admitted, crossing his arms. He didn't speak for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Y'know, since you're able to beat Connor in a fight and you seem pretty well-rounded...I could put in a word with Fucking Fowler, see if you could get some paperwork done..."

 

Your eyes widened as you realized what he was getting at. "You mean try and get me onto the police force?"

 

Hank shrugged and looked over at Connor, who was pondering the decision. "It could work in theory," he said. "The NX300's cover-up story to hide her real purpose was to be a security guard model, so I presume that you have an extensive database of fighting styles, not to mention you have proven to be rather useful in terms of acting and strategy."

 

You slowly smiled. "Honestly, being able to get into the police force would be ideal to find Lena and Bryan's son." You looked back over at Hank. "...Would you be able to get me on?"

 

Hank chortled and slapped you on the back. "Eh, I don't see  _why_ the hell I wouldn't," he replied. "After all, the guy who beat your buddies up was on the DPD, huh? Maybe you could, erm... _convince_ him, if you get my gist."

 

You smirked. The fact that you knew exactly who the person was just made this ten times better. "I get your gist alright," you agreed. "So...I'm assuming you'd be fine with  _two_ plastic bastards on the force, then?"

 

Hank shrugged, although the grin was still on his face. "Eh, you're not half bad," he replied. "At least I'll have one that can get my shitty jokes, not to mention there'll be another person to fuck with him." Connor began protesting at Hank's words. You laughed and nodded, mentally setting yourself a checklist to go through.

 

**MAIN OBJECTIVES ARE AS FOLLOWED:**

 

**GET REVENGE ON GAVIN REED**

 

**FIND CONNOR LOCKHART**

 

**STOP THE VIRUS**

 

 _Oh, this is going to be SO much fun._ You cracked your knuckles and laughed as you saw the looks you were gaining from Connor and Hank. You waved their concerns off and looked down at the floor, a devious smirk coming onto your face.  _You'd better watch the fuck out world, because hell's coming your way now that I'm free._

 

**o o o**

**end**

**o o o**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yep, this is the end of the canon arc!
> 
> Imma wait for a few more days, let you guys decide if you wanted this to continue as a full novel or have a separate one with the post-canon arcs, but after that we are hitting the ground RUNNING!
> 
> Thanks for sticking around with my bullshit you guys lol, and I hope you'll all continue to read on once the sequel (if it's a separate book, I have NO idea what I'm going to name it lmao) is up! See you around :D


	31. I ran out of title ideas

Pfffft I knew I said I was going to leave this alone for a couple of days and let you guys decide, but already there's been like 12 people saying they would enjoy a separate book, sooo...yeah

 

So! I'm going to brainstorm where I want the next book to go (ahaha that's a lie I never think about anything relating to novels or my actions) and so expect the second book to be up either at 2 in the morning central time or fucking like 10 pm tonight, because I don't have  _any_ schedule when it comes to this kind of stuff.

 

I'm expecting the next book to go as follows (maybe not in this order) (actually probably because this makes the most chronological sense) (imagine reader just storming into the DPD, beating up Gavin, then turning to Fowler and asking "hey can I join"):

\--Reader's going to successfully manage to get into the police force because Hank is a supportive...erm, father-in-law I guess if Connor and reader get together and Hank adopts Connor lmao

\--The whole plotline I was leading up to where reader tries to find where Harry took Lil' Connor

\--Reader beating the shit out of Gavin (without anyone seeing so she doesn't get fired off the police force huehuehue)

\--Some other drabbles that will be canon but be their own story arcs (planning on having #awkwardconnorisn'tgoodatfeelings, reader and Connor having another 1v1, probably some shit with angst and stuff, etc.)

 

I'll be adding the next book to this current series (title name is 'NX300, Serial Number Not Found), so you can:

a) Come back to my profile within the next day or so and see that the sequel is up

b) (cheeky little promo ahead smh) User subscribe so you get  a l l  the updates

c) Just add the series, or come back to this book and click on 'Next work' at the bottom of this chapter

 

Whichever one floats your boat lmao. Anyways, that'll be all for this book! Ding, donezo, checkmark, and stay tuned for the next novel!


End file.
